Meetings in the Tower
by Imp3rf3ctlyYourZ
Summary: ORIGINALLY BY STARRYEYEDLOVE! I DO NOT OWN! I only wish! THANK YOU NICKIE CARC for supplying them - you are my heart   soul! "One day, one day I'll tell the world..." but for now there would only be these secret Meetings in the Tower...
1. Chapter 1

**I WILL EVENTUALLY BE POSTING AN 3RD PERSON POV UPDATE OF THE STORY ON MY WEBSITE. MORE UPDATES TO COME. HAPPY READING! **

**Alyss**

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><p><strong>I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!<strong>

**Hello! My name is Kyle (yes it can be a girl's name too okay?), I love writing and Harry Potter! I have the majority of this story already written on Word, it's pretty long. This is good news for you, because I will be able to update regularly unless there is a problem with computer. Anyways here's the first quiz!**

**Quick Description**: Your name is Anna Darcy; you're sixteen years old, four feet eleven inches, with a petite, but athletic figure. You have wavy, shoulder-length, dirty blonde hair, freckly skin, and mischievous golden honey brown eyes.

"Well goodbye mum, I'll miss you!" you exclaimed, kissing her on the cheek, picking up your heavy trunk, and trotting off happily toward Platform Nine and Three Quarters.  
>"Anna Louise Darcy, you stay out of trouble now you hear me? If you get yourself expelled you will be in big trouble, young lady!" your mum said seriously.<br>"Oh come on mum, I've been going to Hogwarts for five years now and Dumbledore hasn't expelled me yet!" you exclaimed.

"I'm serious Anna, if you mess up it will not be pretty back home!" your mum yelled.  
>"I love you too, mum!" you called over your shoulder before running through the brick wall. You looked up at the large, steaming fire engine red train in front of you: the Hogwarts Express. Students and parents were all bustling around with their heavy trunks and hooting owls, rushing to get on the train before it left.<p>

"ANNA!" someone yelled from behind you and you suddenly felt someone literally jump on top of you.  
>"Jeez I'm here two seconds and someone is already bloody attacking me!" you exclaimed before turning to see a beaming Hermione Granger, your smart, frizzy haired best friend.<br>"I've missed you so much!" she squealed pulling you into a tight hug.  
>"Aw- I've missed you too Herms!" you laughed hugging her back.<br>"I told you not to call me Herms!" Hermione scolded slapping you playfully on the arm.  
>"Why? Herms is so much cooler than Hermione, you have to agree!" you replied. She just rolled her eyes at you before grabbing your wrist and pulling you over to the train.<br>"Harry and Ron are saving us a compartment," she explained as she pulled you down the aisle to the very last compartment on the right. When she finally let go, you had a red handprint mark on your wrist.  
>"Wow Hermione I didn't know you could be so forceful!" you joked showing her your wrist.<br>She looked absolutely horrified at the sight of it, "Oh Anna I am so sorry! I'm just a little stressed out right now and a little nervous to be honest".  
>"Still stuck on the red head, huh?" you laughed, knowing that she meant she was nervous to be around Ron again. They had sort of left things off weird at the end of fifth year, they admitted they liked each other, but were yet to do anything about it.<br>"Yeah I guess..." she sighed before opening up the compartment door.

"ANNA!" Harry and Ron both yelled in unison before jumping on top of you much like Hermione had.  
>"Merlin! Do all you mental English people greet your friends by jumping on top of them? In Scotland we just hug!" you exclaimed in your famous Scottish accent. They both laughed before each giving you a hug and a kiss on the cheek.<br>Harry looked very much the same as he did last year. He was quite good looking. He was medium height, with messy black and beautiful emerald green eyes. Ron also hadn't changed much; he was still tall and skinny, with his famous Weasley fiery red hair, freckles and bright blue eyes.  
>You all sat down in the same spots you had been sitting in every year for five years now, since the day you all first met on the train. You were next to Harry across from Hermione and Ron next to her. Hermione was fidgeting nervously with her hair and Ron was staring awkwardly out the window, turning redder and redder by the second.<br>"I reckon our friends have a bit of a crush on each other, hmm?" you whispered to Harry.  
>"I reckon they do" Harry replied with a smirk.<br>"What are you two whispering about?" Hermione asked clearly annoyed.  
>"Oh nothing" you answered in a singsong voice with a devious smile. Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but suddenly the door of the compartment swung open to reveal...<p>

Draco Malfoy was standing in the door opening closely flanked by his ever-present gorilla-like cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. You looked up at him and felt your stomach do a flip-flop. He had definitely grown up over the summer. His long, shaggy platinum blonde hair was no longer slicked back, but left to hang free in front of his penetrating ice blue eyes. He was taller now and all that Quidditch practice had definitely made him more muscular.  
>"Potty, Weasel, Mudblood, and Anna" he hissed looking at each of you in turn.<br>"What no clever name for me Malfoy? I'm hurt, I really am." you said, sarcastically placing your hand over your heart.  
>"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry asked annoyed before Draco had a chance to respond to your comment.<br>"I just wanted to catch up with my old friends. I was hanging on to the hope that you had somehow gotten yourselves blown up over the summer." he sneered.  
>"Unfortunately, you don't have that good of luck, mate!" you chuckled.<br>"Shut it Darcy, I'm not in the mood to deal with psycho Ravenclaws right now." he hissed.  
>"The Psycho Ravenclaw, huh? I like it Malfoy! Hey, can I call you the Slytherin Asshole?" you asked in mock enthusiasm.<br>Hermione, Harry, and Ron all snorted as you said this. You had always been quick-witted, which pissed Malfoy off to no end. He hated to be shown up.  
>He glared maliciously at you, but to your surprise didn't respond. In fact he just turned and left the compartment without another word.<p>

"He scared off quicker than usual this year," you laughed, "he seems sort of different though, doesn't he?" you asked becoming more serious.  
>"What do you mean?" Ron asked.<br>"I mean his hair isn't slicked back and everything, he is actually somewhat _pleasant_ to look at this year. Plus he didn't go at us too much" you explained.  
>"Maybe he's sick" Harry suggested, "he's still Malfoy though, some things never change" he finished firmly.<br>"Yeah I guess you're right" you sighed looking distractedly out the compartment door.

"I'm going to go get changed into my school robes okay?" you said standing up and picking up your silver and dark blue Ravenclaw school robes.  
>"Yeah I think I'll go too" Harry said picking up his uniform and following behind you.<br>"I should get changed too-" Hermione began.  
>"NO!" you and Harry both yelled in unison clearly thinking along the same lines. You both wanted Ron and Hermione to spend some alone time in the compartment to get everything cleared up and their feelings out in the open. Hermione and Ron both looked a little surprised and offended by your sudden outburst though.<br>"I mean- you two should stay behind and make sure no one steals our stuff or takes the compartment." you said quickly.  
>"Yeah right, what Anna said!" Harry broke in nodding.<p>

You both turned and walked down the aisle toward the changing stalls giggling with each other.  
>"Did you see their faces? We got to learn to be a little slyer Potter", you laughed.<br>"Yes we do, but let's just hope for now that they get everything cleared up. I mean it's obvious they're both crazy about each other", Harry said.  
>"Our babies are all grown up" you exclaimed pretending to cry.<br>He laughed and shook his head at you. "What about Anna, any new crushes this year?" Harry asked inquisitively.  
>"Nah- not really" you replied, "Boys are just so <em>blah<em>!" you said throwing your arms in the air for full effect.  
>"Oh come on you've never even had a boyfriend or a crush at all for that matter!" Harry whined.<br>"It's called playing hard to get my friend", you said with a wink. It was true you hadn't had a boyfriend in your five years at Hogwarts, but it wasn't like you never had the chance. You had been asked out by the likes of the two Quidditch captains Roger Davies and Oliver Wood, who all the girls drooled over. They just never really interested you as more than friends, no guys really had in Hogwarts. Then your mind flashed back to the feeling in your stomach when you saw Malfoy, _'no that's mental'_ you thought to yourself _'we're enemies'_.  
>"What about you, anyone special you're after this year?" you asked.<br>"Well um- yeah I guess so" Harry replied, his ears turning a little pink and as if on cue Cho Chang, the beautiful Ravenclaw seeker, appeared from the girls changing room.

"Hello there Cho!" you greeted in a friendly voice, although you and her had never gotten along well. In your opinion she was a little on the stuck up side and a bit too prissy for your taste. Her opinion of you wasn't very nice either. In fact a lot of the Ravenclaws disliked you, because of your troublemaking ways. Ravenclaw had been winning the House Cup nearly every year, because they were all such perfect students until you arrived. You were always getting points docked off for pulling pranks and talking out of line. Filch and Snape, neither of which could stand you, took off most of the points.  
>"Hi Anna" she replied courteously, but there was unquestionably some coldness in her voice. "Oh hello Harry!" she greeted her voice brightening significantly when she spotted him standing next to you.<br>"H-hello Cho, have a nice summer?" Harry asked, his hands trembling slightly at his sides.  
>"Oh yes it was very nice. Well I hope I'll be seeing you around, Harry- and uh- you two Anna" she said before sweeping off down the aisle.<p>

"Cho Chang... I should have guessed!" you laughed shaking your head at him.  
>"What can I say? There is just something about her, she makes me feel-" Harry started.<br>"All fuzzy inside?" you finished in teasing voice.  
>"Oh shut up shorty", he said before playfully shoving you in the shoulder causing you to bump into a group of chatting Hufflepuff second year girls. They all glared at you before walking away quickly.<br>"Oh I know you didn't just call me short!" you yelled pretending to be hurt. You only stood at four feet eleven inches and were often teased about how short you were. Harry just laughed at you before disappearing into the boys changing room. You walked into the girls changing room and leant against the wall waiting for a free stall to open up.

"Hello Anna, how are you doing?" a breathless voice asked from behind you and you turned to see your friend Luna Lovegood standing behind you. She had long, sandy blonde hair that now went all the way down to her hips. She had dreamy, grayish blue eyes that always seemed to be staring off into space. She wore a homemade bottle cap necklace around her neck and various clips, pins, and flowers all through her hair. Luna had always been one of your favorite people at Hogwarts, because she was the only one who could rival you when it came to craziness. Plus she was one of the few Ravenclaws who really accepted you.  
>"Hey Luna! I'm doing pretty well, how about you?" you replied happily.<br>"Oh I'm alright, I guess" she replied dreamily. "Did you hear what they are calling me now? Loony Lovegood! I must say they're getting cleverer with their nicknames" she laughed.  
>You laughed too; you always loved how Luna referred to the rest of the school population as <em>them<em>. She was never specific about who _them_ actually was, but somehow you always understood what she meant.  
>"Well I think I've just been dubbed the psycho Ravenclaw!" you exclaimed, "Mwahaha!" you yelled out to some passing Slytherin third year girls who looked utterly repulsed by you. "Not too friendly Slytherins, are they?" you thought out loud.<br>"Nope, not friendly at all" Luna agreed shaking her head at the girls.

Finally a changing stall opened up, "I'll see you around!" you called to Luna before walking into the stall. You changed out of your long black, navy blue and gray patchwork skirt, your fishnet tights, black trainers and your black t-shirt that read 'Jinx' across the front in large, bold gray letters. You replaced these clothes with the gray pleated skirt, knee socks, black buckle shoes, white colored shirt, and blue and silver tie. You looked into the mirror and laughed at your reflection. You did look cute in the schoolgirl fashion, almost half way normal actually, but you felt so out of place in it.  
>You walked out of the changing stall holding your old clothes in a bag at your side. You walked out the room quickly, the constant glares from the Slytherin girls were making you a little uncomfortable, but in your haste you accidentally smacked right into someone sending you plummeting toward the ground.<p>

"Watch where you're going Darcy!" Draco yelled rubbing his arm a little bit.  
>"Oh yeah- sorry about that Draco, just was in a little bit of a rush that's all" you said still on the ground trying to gather up all your clothes.<br>You looked up to see Draco was still standing there looking at you like you had three heads or something and you suddenly realized why. He had just been completely rude to you and you hadn't snapped back or come up with some witty remark, in actuality you had _apologized_ to him.  
>To your shock he outstretched his hand to you, you took and he helped you up off the ground. He was still staring at you as if you were mental though.<br>"Is there something on my face?" you asked.  
>"Oh uh- no, I was just thinking that's all" he replied sounding a little embarrassed. He turned to walk away, but then stopped. "You know you look kind of cute in that uniform, you're one of the few girls who can pull it off", he said out of nowhere.<br>This caught your completely and totally off guard. This never happened to you, Anna Darcy had never before been left speechless. He smirked at you, seeing that you were struggling to find the right words for a response.  
>"Well you'd be pretty good looking yourself if you didn't wear that smirk all the time!" you finally responded before brushing past him. You could feel his eyes still on you as you turned and walked into your compartment.<p>

"What happened to you?" Hermione asked as soon as you closed the compartment door.  
>"What are you talking about?" you said a little confused.<br>"Well you're blushing bright red for one thing and secondly you've got a bruise the size of London on you're stomach" she answered matter-of-factly.  
>You looked down to see you had forgotten to button the last few buttons of your blouse; enough was open to reveal the bruise that was beginning to form on your lower stomach. You quickly buttoned up your blouse hiding the bruise.<br>"I must have bumped into Malfoy harder than I thought" you said with a shrug.  
>"Did he hurt you?" Harry asked quickly getting up from his seat.<br>"No, no, no! It was more I hurt him actually. I was in a bit of a rush getting out of the compartment and boom!" you explained clapping your hands together to show that you two bumped into each other.  
>"So why are you blushing?" Hermione asked curiously.<br>"I don't know, I guess I'm not used to wearing such a short skirt" you replied while attempting to make your skirt a little longer by pulling it down.  
>Harry and Ron laughed at you, "You look good in a skirt, Anna, don't worry" Harry said.<p>

You rolled your eyes at him and walked over the other side of the compartment to put your clothes away in your trunk. Then you sat down in your regular spot next to Harry and you all spent the rest of the train ride talking candidly about your new year at Hogwarts. For some reason though your mind kept wandering back to thoughts of Draco...


	2. Chapter 2

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>You walked into the Great Hall and said your goodbyes to Hermione, Harry, and Ron before heading over to the Ravenclaw table. You looked up and down the table for Luna, but you couldn't find her, so you figured her carriage hadn't arrived yet. You looked at the other girls in your year. As always the leader Padma Patil was sitting in the middle surrounded by her followers Abby Clarkson, Jane Whitmore, and Stacey Rowland. The boys in your year were as always drooling over Padma. There was Michael Corner, a tall, good-looking boy with copper brown hair and dark brown eyes, Adam Lyndon, Michael's best friend who was around the same height with blonde hair and light blue eyes and finally their personal lackey Danny Cahill. He was a short boy with spiky black hair and sparkling green eyes. You always felt bad for the boy, he tried so hard to be accepted, but his friends still treated him like crap.<p>

You finally decided not to sit with them; you knew they didn't want you to anyways. You were about to just give up and sit alone when you heard someone call your name from the front of the long table.

"Anna Darcy! Anna, come sit with us!" a tall, muscular boy with long dark brown hair, tan skin, a large toothy smile and stunning dark blue eyes called. It was Roger Davies, the Quidditch god himself. He was the boy that all the girls in your house and in every other house for that matter were crazy about.

You walked over to where he was sitting, receiving many jealous glares on the way. As you approached he pushed his friend Freddie Martin, a Ravenclaw chaser like you, to over so there would be room for you to sit next to him. You sat down in the seat and smiled at him and the rest of the seventh years that were sitting there. You noticed Cho, who was sitting across from you and Roger, was glaring daggers at you.  
>"So how was your summer Anna?" he asked staring straight into your eyes.<br>"Oh it was nice, my family and I went to Egypt for a while! It's too bloody hot there in my opinion. How about you? Doing anything exciting?" you asked.  
>"I went to Quidditch camp most of the summer, to get ready for my last season!" he replied.<br>"I should have guessed" you laughed. "That's the only thing that's going on in you and Wood's head, Quidditch!" you exclaimed ruffling his hair a little.  
>"Hey watch the hair!" he joked before ruffling up your hair in revenge. "So did you do your practicing over the summer? I can't have my star chaser rusty for our first game!" he exclaimed.<br>"Oh so now she is the star chaser, huh? That hurts Davies, that hurts!" Freddie laughed from beside you.  
>"Aw don't worry, we can both be stars Frederick!" you said happily.<br>"Ugh- don't call me Frederick! It's Freddie, Fre- die-!" he said shaking his head at you.  
>"Okay then Frederick" you replied patting him on the head, causing him and Roger to burst out into laughter. Cho and her two best friends Marietta Edgecomb and Lauren Edwards on the other hand didn't find you too amusing.<p>

Suddenly the Great Hall was silenced as the headmaster Professor Dumbledore stood up "let the sorting begin" he said and with that Professor McGonagall appeared with a stool under one arm and a raggedy old hat in the other.  
>Suddenly you were brought back to your first day at Hogwarts all those years ago...<p>

_You were standing in between your two new friends Harry and Ron who you had met on the train ride to Hogwarts. You had never had any real friends before, your parents never allowed you to play with the muggle children who lived in your neighbourhood. You were shaking nervously from head to toe wondering how they were going to sort you, the rumour was they gave you a really hard test.  
>"Get out of my way filth, I want to see!" a skinny boy behind you with slicked back blonde hair and icy blue eyes said before pushing you roughly out of the way.<br>"Hey watch it Blondie!" you yelled at him, you hated to be pushed around by anyone. He turned to yell back at you, but stopped when his eyes met yours. He just stared at you with a weird sort of dazed expression on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment Professor McGonagall began to call out names. You never did find out what he was going to say.  
>Finally your name was called 'Darcy, Anna'. You walked up cautiously to the stool and placed the raggedy hat over your head; it was much too big for you and fell over your eyes. Then suddenly a foreign voice entered your mind, "Ah well aren't you an interesting one Miss Darcy. There is Slytherin blood in you no doubt, but I don't see you as a Slytherin. Plenty brave and loyal, yes you'd make a good Gryffindor. But then again you are extremely intelligent and quite a creative mind, guess it must be RAVENCLAW!" it yelled the last part out loud and you slowly made your way over to the table...<em>

You were snapped back into reality as Dumbledore stood up once more, you must have spaced out for the entire sorting ceremony. He approached the podium to make his customary beginning of the year speech.

"Welcome new and old faces to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! For those of you who are new to the school the Forbidden Forest is well forbidden and magic is not permitted to be used in the halls between classes. In other news a few new things have been added to Mr. Filch's list of prohibited items, thanks to some of our less than well behaved students" Dumbledore said glancing at you as he talked about Filch making you giggle a little, "well that's all! I will not keep you from your wonderful feast any longer!" he said with a bright smile before returning to the teacher's table.

The entire Great Hall save the Slytherins broke out into wild applause for the headmaster, but the applause died down as heaps and heaps of glorious food appeared on the previously empty plates.  
>You piled your plate with enough food to feed an entire army, but it all looked too good to pass up.<p>

"Hungry much?" Freddie laughed looking down at your plate.  
>"Hey! It's all good, she needs her strength for our Quidditch match next week!" Roger said patting you on the back. You winked at him and continued to pack down all your food.<br>After you were finished with your meal you said goodbye to Roger and Freddie who were still working on theirs and walked down the table to try and find Luna. You saw her sitting at the end of the table alone reading a copy of the Quibbler and you suddenly felt guilty about leaving her alone.

"Hey Luna, I'm sorry I couldn't find you" you apologized sitting down next to her.  
>"Oh that's quite alright; I've just been catching up on my reading a bit" Luna replied.<br>"Uh- Luna the magazine is upside down" you laughed just noticing it yourself.  
>"Mhmm" she said as if reading upside down was completely normal. You laughed quietly to yourself before saying goodbye and telling her you'd see her later in the Common Room. You walked over to the Gryffindor table to say goodnight to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.<br>"Hey guys! I just wanted to say goodnight before I shoved off" you said plopping down beside Harry.  
>"Goodnight dear" Harry laughed giving you a side hug. Everyone else followed suit and wished you a goodnight before you made the move to stand back up.<p>

"Wait Anna!" you heard some call and you spun around to see Oliver Wood walking toward you. He was tall and well built, with short brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. "You thought you could get away without saying hi to your fellow Scot!" he laughed giving you a warm hug.  
>"Nice to see you again Oliver, I'm sure you had a good summer at Quidditch camp" you said.<br>"Oh yeah! It was great, I've learned quite a bit. Ravenclaw is going down this year", he said with a cocky smile.  
>"We'll see about that, Roger went to Quidditch camp this summer too" you replied and Oliver's expression then changed to disappointment. You smirked at him, "I'll see you on the pitch" you laughed before heading off toward the double doors of the Great Hall.<br>"Goodnight Anna!" he called after you.

You walked through the doors and out into the dimly lit hallway. You headed toward the staircase that led to where the Ravenclaw Common Room was located, but as soon as you began to walk someone grabbed your arm. With a sudden reflex you spun around and kicked the person hard in the shin.  
>"Ouch! What was that for?" Draco yelled, "first you run into me and now you're kicking me" he whined.<br>"Oh- uh- sorry just a reflex I guess." you said with a shrug before offering a hand to help him up from the ground. He took your hand and stood up. "So what do you want?" you asked curiously.  
>"I was just wondering- I was wondering. Do you hate me Anna?" he asked suddenly looking down at his shoelaces.<br>"What? Hate you? No, I don't think I'd go that far" you replied a little confused.  
>"Alright then" he said, "well goodnight".<br>"Wait- why? Do you hate me?" you asked, you were subconsciously just trying to keep him from leaving just yet.  
>"No I don't hate you" he said shortly, but you thought you saw him smile at you through the darkness as he turned on his heel and strode of in the direction of the dungeons.<p>

You woke up next morning feeling particularly groggy; you had a restless sleep that night. You stood up and walked over to your trunk. After taking a quick shower in the girls bathroom you dried your hair and threw on your school uniform, then made your way down the Hall for breakfast.

"Hey Anna! Eat breakfast with us today" Hermione said pulling you over to the Gryffindor table as soon as you walked into the Hall. "Besides the table assignments are more guidelines than actual rules!"  
>You laughed and took a seat next to her at the table. "So what is the deal with you and carrot top?" you whispered excitedly in her ear as you sat down.<br>She nudged you hard on the shoulder and turned bright red. "Nothing, every time I try to bring it up he gets all nervous and changes the subject" she sighed.  
>"Well you're just going to have to make him talk about it", you said flatly.<br>"And how do you suppose I do that?" Hermione hissed just as Ron and Harry sat down across from the two of you.

"Morning, Hermione, Anna" they both greeted. They both looked terribly sleepy, you could tell neither of them were morning people.  
>"So what classes do you all have today?" you asked holding out your schedule.<br>"Let's see we have Potions, Charms, and Defence Against the Dark Arts together. Those are the only advanced classes that I'm in and I know you're in all advanced" Harry said.  
>"Hah! Then I'm in none of your classes" Ron laughed, "I'm bloody hopeless in everything, but Care of Magical Creatures".<br>"Oh don't say that Ronald, you're very intelligent" Hermione said sharply.  
>"What has she been smoking?" you overheard Ron whisper to Harry making you snort in laughter.<br>"Well I'm in nearly all your classes Anna, except for Divination. That class is a waste of time if you ask me" Hermione said handing you back your schedule.  
>"Aw- I like Divination, Professor Trelawney is a very interesting lady" you said defensively. You had always thought Professor Trelawney was kind of cool, in a bizarre way.<br>"More like an old fraud!" Hermione exclaimed irritably.  
>"Hermione is just bitter, because she wasn't any good at it" Lavander Brown laughed as she sat down next to you.<br>"Oh shut it Lavander" Hermione said before looking down at her Transfiguration book.

After breakfast you made your way to your first class, which was Divination. To your disappointment you realized you didn't have any friends in the class with you. You walked over to a table in the corner and sat down.

"Hey, this seat taken?" a voice asked from behind you and you turned to see Draco standing there.  
>"Nope, go right ahead! That is, if you don't mind sitting with the psycho Ravenclaw." you answered, "wouldn't you rather sit with those lackeys of yours anyways?"<br>"Hah! You mean Crabbe and Goyle? Those two dimwits wouldn't be caught dead in an advanced class", Draco laughed sitting down in the seat beside you.  
>"Yeah, they really don't strike me as the intelligent type... must be the unibrows." you said thoughtfully.<br>Draco laughed at this, "yeah, must be the unibrows" he agreed.  
>"So anyways, you take Divination? You don't strike me as the Divination type" you said.<br>"I don't know, I just always kind of liked it. Father would bloody kill me if he knew I was taking it, I don't think he'd be too happy to know I'm in advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts too" he replied.  
>"Yes the majority of Death Eaters don't really approve of that class, do they?" you asked sarcastically.<br>He looked a little depressed at the mention of his father and his father's _interesting_ occupation. He stared down at his Divination book and began to fidget with the pages.  
>"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I had no right to talk about your father. It's not like mine are saints either you know" you apologized.<br>"No- no really it's okay Anna. He's a Death Eater and I have accepted it, but that does not mean that I am my father" he said steadfastly.  
>"Of course it doesn't" you said with a smile just as Professor Trelawney walked into the room.<p>

Her mauve robes were swept gracefully behind her as she approached the front of the classroom. Her curly blonde hair that was graying slightly was pulled back in a bright pink bandana. She smiled happily as she peered at her class from behind her coke bottle spectacles.

"Crazy that woman is" Draco mumbled in your ear.  
>"Yeah, she's my idol!" you whispered back jokingly. Draco just rolled his eyes at you before taking out some parchment to take notes on.<br>"In class you were reading tea leaves!" Professor Trelawney said excitedly passing out teacups to everyone. "Oh hello Miss Darcy! Good to see you again my dear!" she greeted happily when she reached yours and Draco's table.  
>"Good to see you too Professor!" you said politely taking a teacup from her.<br>"So what's mine say?" Draco asked curiously peering over your shoulder to try and see his cup.  
>"Uh- well it looks like you have a rose so that means you'll fall in love!" you exclaimed reading from your book.<br>Draco seemed to blush a little as you said this, but you told yourself you were imagining things. "How about mine?" you asked.  
>"Well you have what looks like a cat I think- so you'll be trying something you never tried before!" Draco said triumphantly, "I'm getting better at this stuff!"<br>"That you are Mr. Malfoy" Professor Trelawney said coming up from behind you.

"So where you headed off to now?" Draco asked as Professor Trelawney dismissed the class.  
>"Defense Against the Dark Arts" you answered peering at your schedule.<br>"Me too! I'll walk you" Draco offered kindly.  
>You raised your eyebrow curiously at him, "you know you're kind of <em>pleasant<em> when you're not around Slytherins" you said to him honestly.

He just shrugged a little and you both continued down the hall in an awkward silence. You began to hum to yourself, you had always hated silence. You walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and saw Harry and Hermione waving for you to come sit down next to them. You also noticed Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with short dark brown hair and gray eyes, waving for Draco to join her.

"Well I guess I leave you here" you sighed turning to Draco.  
>"Yup, back to the real world" Draco said sadly, "I'll see you around later alright?" he said and you nodded with a smile before you both parted way, you going to sit next to Harry and he to join Pansy.<p>

"So what were you doing with Malfoy?" Harry asked suspiciously as you sat down.  
>"Oh we're in Divination together before this, he walked me to class that's all. You know he's not <em>that<em> bad of a guy", you answered.  
>"Not that bad of a guy? The guy made me and Ron's lives miserable for five years and he is always calling Hermione a Mudblood!" Harry said coldly. Hermione nodded next to Harry in agreement.<br>"Alright, alright he's a jerk!" you said giving up on trying to convince Harry of anything. Harry had always had a pretty one track mind.

The door of the classroom swung open and the new professor walked in. She was beautiful with long, ebony black hair, ghostly pale skin, and glowing red eyes. She smiled at the class and you heard them all gasp as she revealed her fangs.  
>"Hello class, I'm Professor Hollows and yes I am a vampire", she laughed.<p>

"I like her!" you declared to Harry and two of your Hufflepuff friends Hannah and Justin as you walked out of the classroom, "I've always loved vampires." you sighed.  
>"Yeah well you like anything dark and scary" Harry responded referring to your similar love for thestrals.<br>"If you're referring to my love of thestrals, they are beautiful creatures! They have a wonderful elegance about them" you sighed.  
>"I find them rather frightening" Hannah answered, shivering at the thought of them.<br>"I wouldn't know; I can't see them" Justin said sounding a little sad about it.  
>"Don't worry mate, it's not exactly a good thing we can see them" Harry said in a depressed voice. You knew thestrals and talk of thestrals always brought back memories of the day he saw Cedric die right in front of him.<p>

"PEEVES!" you yelled thankful for a change of subject as you saw the poltergeist fly in front of you.  
>"Miss Darcy!" Peeves exclaimed bowing down politely to you, "I have missed you Miss Darcy. The halls of Hogwarts are just not as much fun without you".<br>"Of course not! It must be rough having to terrorize Filch all alone", you said sadly.  
>"Yes and I'm afraid it's just you and me this year my lady, now that the Weasley twins are gone" Peeves said.<br>"I think we'll manage; there is a Hogsmeade trip this weekend! I'll pick up some _supplies_", you said with a wink. Peeves cackled and bowed to you once more before gliding away.

After all your classes were over you ate a quick dinner before you stood up from the table and headed off toward the library to get started on your mountain of homework. 'Oh well that's what I get for taking all advanced classes' you thought to yourself as you spread your books out on the table. You started first on your essay for Professor Hollows about the three unforgivable curses.  
>"Looks like you have a lot of work to do" you heard someone chuckle from in front of you and you looked up to see...<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>You looked up to see Roger sitting across from you with his typical cocky smile on his face.<br>"Yeah well that's what I get for taking all advanced classes" you mumbled feeling rather irritable.  
>"Yeah I know how it is, plus I've got NEWTS this year" he moaned pulling out his own books from his bag, "you mind if I join you?"<br>"Uh- no go ahead" you said not really hearing what he was saying; you were too involved with your essay. That's how you got when you were doing work, you got totally and completely concentrated and didn't hear anything going on around you. Needless to say you weren't very multi-taskful.  
>"So there's a Hogsmeade trip this weekend, you excited?" Roger asked.<br>"Um- yeah sure thing" you replied automatically.  
>"So I was wondering if you maybe would like to be my date for the Hogsmeade trip this weekend?" Roger asked casually from over his Transfiguration textbook.<br>"Uh- yeah sure" you replied, still not really hearing what it was he saying.  
>"Great! I was hoping you'd say yes!" he exclaimed leaning over the table and kissing you happily on the cheek.<br>"Huh?" you responded, finally being snapped back into the real world when he kissed you. You had no idea what he looked so pleased about.  
>"I was hoping that you would say yes" he repeated, "we should go to the Quidditch supply shop first, you know me! Then we can have lunch at that little tea place, sound good?" he asked cheerfully.<br>Suddenly it hit you, you had just said yes to going to Hogsmeade with Roger. You mentally slapped yourself on the forehead for not paying more attention to what he was saying. Now you were stuck going with him to Hogsmeade that weekend, it wasn't that you didn't like him, he just wasn't someone you were interested in dating.  
>"Uh- sounds great!" you said with false enthusiasm, forcing a smile.<br>"Awesome! Thanks Anna, I'll see you Saturday" he said putting his books in his bag. He stood up and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek before skipping out of the library and down the hall.  
>"<em>Ugh<em>" you exclaimed hitting your head on the edge of the table, "I'm a bloody idiot!" you muttered to yourself.

The rest of the week went by pretty uneventfully. You had started up Quidditch practice again and it was obvious the new Ravenclaw team was the best it had been in years. You hoped this would be the year you took the Quidditch cup. You felt awkward at practice though, because Roger always made a point to compliment you for the most basic things. There was also the little fact that half the team hated you guts. You usually hung around Freddie, trying to avoid Cho's jealous glares and Roger's constant staring.

You did find yourself always looking forward to your Divination lessons though. You were slowly growing closer and closer to Draco with every class; you never imagined he could be such a great guy. But as soon as Divination ended you two would go your separate ways, only sharing a few secret glances at meals and in the hall, but even these glances were enough to make your stomach do gymnastics. You kept your new found friendship a secret, because you both knew how the other students would react if they knew you and Draco were friends or possibly even more than friends, but since when did you, Anna Darcy, care what other people thought?  
>Roger had been hanging around you more than usual lately and often walked you to class with his arm around your shoulder – almost like you were boyfriend and girlfriend. It always pained you to see the hurt expression on Draco's face when he saw you two together, but then again he wasn't your boyfriend or anything so why should he be upset?<p>

"So are you and Davies like- an item?" Draco asked during your last class that Friday, Divination.  
>You snorted when Draco asked you this, "Me and Davies? Naw- we're just friends" you answered.<br>"Then why does he always have his arm around you like that? I think he's under the impression you're a little more than friends. I see the way he looks at you." Draco said coldly.  
>You just shrugged and shook your head. "He's a nice guy and everything, but he's not my type. He's a little bit of a <em>pretty boy<em> to be completely honest" you said while jotting down some notes for your essay.  
>"What, you don't like pretty boys?" Draco laughed.<br>"That's right, so I'm afraid you're out of luck, Mr. Malfoy" you teased.  
>"You think I'm pretty?" he asked with a smirk.<br>"Not when you smirk like that!" you exclaimed, "Merlin, I hate that smirk!"  
>"You don't like the smirk? Most girls find it irresistible" he said with a wink.<br>You rolled your eyes at him before turning back to your notes. You found your Divination notes hadn't been nearly as up to standard as your other classes, Draco did a pretty good job in distracting you from your studies.

"So you excited for Hogsmeade this weekend?" Draco asked as the two of you descended down the ladder from the Divination room.  
>"Not really to be honest, I've got a date" you moaned. You looked to see a jealous look on Draco's face that made you smile inwardly.<br>"Oh no! Not a date!" he teased throwing his hands up in the air. "That's what every girl fears!"  
>"Oh hush you! I didn't want to go with Roger, I said yes by accident" you explained.<br>"And how the hell did you manage that?" Draco asked trying not to laugh.  
>"Well he was talking and I- uh- well I wasn't listening" you answered causing him to burst in to laughter. "Shut up it's not funny!" you whined pushing him into the wall jokingly.<br>"Yeah it kind of is," he laughed. "Anyway, if Roger gets on your nerves, you could always come find me." he said with a wink.  
>"Hah! I don't think Pansy would be too happy if I stole her date," you joked, "she might be kind of scrawny, but hell I'm only four eleven, I think she could take me".<br>"I don't know; you're pretty tough for a midget. I think you might stand a chance" Draco said thoughtfully, putting his arm around your shoulder. You felt yourself blush being so close to him. "Besides she's not my date".  
>"That's not what she told Millicent! I overheard them having some girl talk in the hallways" you said.<br>"Ugh- that girl is bloody mental I tell you. I told her a million times that I didn't want a date to Hogsmeade and for some reason to her that translates into '_oh yes Pansy, I would love to go with you!_'" he said in a high pitched girly tone of voice that made you laugh.  
>You talked a little longer about Hogsmeade until you finally reached the Great Hall and walked through the double doors. "Well, see you later" you said awkwardly.<br>"Yeah, see you later and uh- good luck with your date tomorrow" he replied.  
>You laughed, "You need it more than me mate" you said with a wink glancing over at Pansy who was waving her arm wildly for Draco to come sit with her.<br>He shook his head at you and solemnly walked over to Pansy like he was going to a funeral. You smiled at him and then walked over to sit next to Luna at the Ravenclaw table.

"Hey Luna, how are you?" you asked sitting down and putting some roast chicken on your plate.  
>"How am I? Good I guess and you?" she replied in her usual dreamy voice.<br>"I'm alright. Are you excited about Hogsmeade tomorrow?" you asked.  
>"I suppose so, I believe I'm going with Ginny and some of her friends" she said, "I guess it will be an improvement to going alone, eh?"<br>"Well I have to go with Roger", you whispered to her.  
>"Oh that might be a bit risky! Be careful he doesn't snog you at that little tea spot. That's where he takes innocent girls like you." Luna said.<br>"Hah! An innocent girl like myself? Don't worry if he tries anything I'll knee him where the sun don't shine. He won't be riding a broom for weeks" you laughed.  
>Luna smiled; "Now that would be entertaining" she said thoughtfully making you giggle.<p>

"Something funny?" Cho asked sitting down across from you and Luna.  
>"Something that is none of your business, yes" you replied callously.<br>"Touchy, touchy! I was just trying to make polite conversation" she said sounding affronted.  
>"Sorry Cho, whatever do you want?" you said in a fake polite voice.<br>"I heard that you're going to Hogsmeade with Roger tomorrow, well I'm going with Harry" she said with a smug expression on her face.  
>"You came over to tell me that?" you asked confused raising an eyebrow at her.<br>"You have nothing to say about it?" she asked taken aback, the smug expression fading away.  
>"Um- no not really" you responded.<br>"But you _like_ Harry, don't you? I mean you two are constantly together laughing and hanging all over each other. I mean I saw you two on the train together flirting and you always sit with each other during class and at meals!" she said in one big breath sounding annoyed.  
>"Did you agree to go with Harry to Hogsmeade to make me jealous?" you snorted, "sorry to disappoint you mate, but we're only friends".<br>"Oh shut up Darcy! You know, I don't know why Roger likes you. You're not even that pretty!" she shouted turning red with anger and embarrassment.  
>"Ouch!" you exclaimed, "that one hurt Cho! Did you hear what she said Luna? I'm not <em>that<em> pretty, I have never been so offended in my life!" you said sarcastically.  
>She just glared at you maliciously before stomping away down the table.<p>

As soon as she was out of earshot you and Luna both broke out into uncontrollable laughter. "I swear these girls are getting more pathetic every second" Luna sighed.  
>"Hah! Harry and me? That girl is out of her bloody mind" you exclaimed.<br>"Why? Harry isn't so bad, is he?" Luna said sounding kind of offended by your statement.  
>"No of course not! He's a great guy, not the best taste in woman in my opinion, but a good guy all the same" you answered, "why are you sticking up for Harry?" you asked suspiciously.<br>"I don't know, he just always seemed like a nice guy to me. He even offered to help me get all my stolen books back last year" Luna shrugged.  
>"You like Harry!" you whispered excitedly, making sure no one could overhear you.<br>Luna began to blush red with embarrassment, but she did not deny she had feelings for Harry. Then suddenly it hit you, Luna had beaten you. You and Luna were pretty much the only two upperclassmen girls left who hadn't gotten all googly-eyed over a boy before.  
>"I can't believe you found someone before me! It's not fair!" you exclaimed.<br>"Oh no Anna, in fact you found someone before me" Luna laughed with a superior expression on her face.  
>"What are you talking about?" you asked confused.<br>"It's obvious to anyone who takes the time to look, you like Draco Malfoy" she said matter-of-factly.


	4. Chapter 4

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"Now why on earth would you ever think that?" you asked trying to sound innocent.<br>"I'm a tad more observant than the majority our classmates my friend, I see the way you look at each other when you pass in the halls" she said with an all-knowing grin.  
>"And you- and you don't have a problem with it?" you asked in disbelief that Luna was talking so calmly about this with you. You knew if you were talking to any of your other friends they would tell you were acting crazier than usual and try to convince you of what a horrible person Draco was.<br>"Why should I? Everyone has a reason for the way they are. Who am I to judge?" Luna answered.  
>You sat in silence letting her words sink in and you realized how right she actually was. Everyone had a reason for being the way they are; the people who raised you had taught you to be kind and treat everyone with respect. But what if you had been raised by your real parents – the parents who at this very moment were locked up in Azkaban Prison for murdering innocent people? Would you be different? Would you be cruel and believe yourself superior to others?<br>"You know, I think you are honestly the most brilliant person I have ever met!" you said in all seriousness.  
>"Well that's something I've never heard before! Thanks Anna" she said with a smile.<br>You smiled back at her when you felt someone plop down in the seat next to you. You turned around see an overjoyed looking Hermione.

"What are you so happy about?" you asked, "Wait let me guess! Carrot top asked you to Hogsmeade!" you exclaimed excitedly.  
>"Well no" Hermione sighed, her expression becoming a little less excited than it had been before. "But I do have good news! Ronald and I <em>are<em> going to Hogsmeade together. Since you're going with Roger and Harry is going with Cho, Ron and I are left all by our lonesome!" she said happily.  
>"So what are you planning on doing? An hour or so of awkward silence in the Three Broomsticks and then another hour of awkward silence at Honeydukes?" you asked mockingly.<br>"Hey! That was kind of harsh!" she exclaimed slapping you on the arm.  
>"No, that, my good friend, is honesty. You are both too nervous to even talk anymore. I say you make the first move Herms, or you're just going to end up miserable like usual" you said.<br>"I wish I could but it's too hard Anna, I just can't come out and say it" Hermione sighed sadly.  
>"Why? You know he feels the exact same way! You two are hopeless I swear" you said exasperatedly.<br>"Well anyways let's stop ripping apart my love life and move on to yours. Roger Davies, huh? Well I've got to admit he is gorgeous!" Hermione giggled.  
>"<em>Ugh<em>- first let me say this, there is no me and Roger! Mmkay?" you said annoyed.  
>"Yeah, whatever! That's why you actually said yes to him, right? You realize this is your first date! Roger is like a god among all the guys now; he attained the unattainable Anna Darcy!" Hermione responded sounding rather amused by the whole situation.<br>"You're not serious are you? Are people really actually saying that? Gah! I said yes by bloody accident" you said smacking your forehead.  
>"Oh stop complaining. Most girls would kill to be you right now" Hermione scolded.<br>"Well most girls are bloody idiots!" you yelled a little too loud, because nearly every girl at the Ravenclaw table turned to glare at you, except Luna who snorted with laughter.

"Whoops, I got to remember to use my indoor voice" you sighed causing Hermione to burst out into a fit of giggles. "Well I got to go Herms, I have Quidditch practice! Good look with fireball!" you said getting up from the table.

You changed into your dark blue and silver Quidditch robes before pulling your hair back in a tight bun. You slipped on your trainers and grabbed your broom, a Comet Two Sixty, it was all your foster parents could afford.  
>"Still riding a Comet Two Sixty Darcy? That's kind of sad" Cho sneered raising an eyebrow at your broom. The team keeper, Lauren Edwards, sniggered from behind her.<br>"I happen to like my Comet, we've become very close over these past few years" you said cheerily, "Haven't we Comet?" you said in a baby voice to your broom.  
>"Talking to your broom now, huh Anna? You're more of nutter than I thought" Freddie laughed walking in the room and sitting down beside you.<br>"Yup! You should try it sometime Frederick, it's quite entertaining!" you said with a bright smile.  
>"Um- hello there Nimbus 2000, how are you doing today? Good? Oh well that's good, I'm fine myself. You know I'd really appreciate it if you flew a bit faster today, see this psycho chick named Anna keeps out flying me and we can't have that can we?" Freddie said to his broom.<br>"Oh Freddie stop encouraging her!" Cho snapped getting fed up with the whole situation.  
>"Don't listen to her Nimbus; she's just a bitter old seeker" Freddie cooed stroking his broom.<br>"_Arrgh_!" Cho yelled in a mix of annoyance and frustration before grabbing Lauren's wrist and marching her over to the other side of the lockers.  
>"What did you two do this time?" Roger asked suspiciously as Cho stomped past him.<br>"We were just having an innocent chat with our brooms and she got all '_Arrgh!_'" you said with a shrug.  
>"It's true mate!" Freddie declared.<br>Roger chuckled and shook his head at the two of you before walking over to his locker mumbling something that sounded like "_bunch of nutters_" under his breath.

You stepped out on to the pitch between Roger and Freddie. You and Freddie were trying to convince Roger that talking to your broom actually made it fly faster.  
>"I swear to you mate! That famous chaser Damien Corey, the one on the Cannons, he does it all the time! I read it in Witch's Weekly" you lied convincingly.<br>"And I remember reading something about it in Quidditch Today" Freddie added playing along.  
>"Did you really? I don't remember that article-" Roger began, but he stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the pitch. "Oh no bloody way! I signed Ravenclaw up for the pitch from seven to nine Friday! No bloody way!" he yelled storming out to the center of the field with you and the rest of the team close at his heels, looking similarly pissed.<p>

"Wood, get your arse down here!" you yelled at him as he flew away from the hoops over to tell Angelina something. He looked a little surprised at the sound of his name; he looked down to see you and the rest of Ravenclaw team standing there and quickly touched down to the ground looking confused.  
>"Can I help you Miss Darcy?" Wood asked politely flashing you his famous 'lady-killing' smile.<br>"No, but you can leave her alone Wood! However you can help me, by getting off the bloody pitch" Roger shouted.  
>"Sorry mate, but the Gryffindors happen to be practicing at the moment" Wood replied.<br>"Oh hell no Oliver Wood! We're signed up for the pitch right now and you know it. So you get your team out of the air and down on the ground and be on your way" you said coldly. You loved Quidditch and didn't want anyone getting in the way of your time to play.  
>"I don't know what you guys are talking about; I signed up yesterday with McGonagall" Oliver said looking this time genuinely confused.<br>"But I signed up with Hooch on Wednesday! McGonagall must not have double checked with her" Roger said angrily.  
>"Well looks like we're both signed up for the pitch" Wood said with a shrug, "how about a friendly scrimmage?"<br>"Do you really think your ego can handle getting its ass kicked so early in the season Wood?" you asked with a smirk.  
>"Oh we'll see about that Darcy" he laughed winking at you. You saw Roger's expression turn from anger to jealousy as you and Wood talked.<br>"Alright, you're on Wood" Roger said stepping in front of you, so you were out of Oliver's sight.  
>"Brilliant, prepare to go down" he said in an overconfident tone before flying off into the air to fill his team in on what was happening.<p>

"We've got to beat him" Roger said fiercely, his fists were clenched at his side shaking slightly. Roger and Oliver had always competed in nearly everything from girls to school to Quidditch. They were both two of the brightest boys in the seventh year and were always rivaling each other for the top marks. They were both fantastic Quidditch players who made captain of their house teams. You also remembered when they both had a crush on Katie Bell in fifth year and now they were competing for you. '_Well neither of them is going to win me_' you thought to yourself somewhat amused by the thought.

"We will Roger! I'll make sure of it" Cho said smiling flirtatiously at him.  
>"Yeah, but we might have to win by goals rather than the snitch. Harry's a brilliant seeker and he's got a bloody Firebolt" you said glancing sideways at the offended look on Cho's face, "So Roger and Freddie we've got work our asses of okay?"<br>"Anna's right!" Roger exclaimed to Cho's outrage, "Lauren keep their goal scoring to a minimum. Corner and Lyndon keep sending bludgers at their chasers alright? And maybe a few at Wood for laughs, and we'll take care of the rest" Roger said with a wink to you and Freddie.  
>"Anytime now, Davies!" Oliver called from the sky looking a little annoyed.<p>

With that you all kicked off from the ground and flew into the sky. The snitch and bludgers had already been released earlier and Adam Lyndon, one of your beaters, had offered to throw up the quaffle. With one swift movement the quaffle was in the air, you sped toward it and clutched it securely in your arms.  
>You faked to the right then swerved to the left around Angelina only to find Kate hurtling toward you. You ducked down quickly and made a perfect pass to Freddie. Freddie doubled back away from Alicia and threw it over to Roger who in turn sped down the field to score the first goal of the scrimmage – the first of many goals for the Ravenclaw team.<br>After about twenty minutes, the score was already 140-0; the Gryffindor chasers were just no match for the Ravenclaw ones. You guys worked flawlessly together making nearly all perfect passes.  
>Suddenly you saw something out of the corner of your eye; Cho and Harry were both speeding down toward the ground where you could see a glint of gold. The entire field had stopped to watch, except for you. You sped down the field unnoticed and over to the Gryffindor's goal posts. You flung the quaffle straight through the middle hoop before Oliver even realized you were there. Just as you scored you saw Harry flying around pounding his fist into the air, he had caught the snitch.<br>All the Gryffindors began to cheer wildly and pat Harry on the back except for Oliver. "Guys, guys we didn't win" he mumbled angrily.  
>"What? Of course we did! 140-150!" Angelina exclaimed.<br>"Nope! Someone scored while you were all watching Harry and Cho" you said happily.  
>"She didn't-" Katie began.<br>"She did" Oliver finished looking very crestfallen.  
>"Oh cheer up mopey! It's a tie, that's not too bad is it?" you said happily ruffling Oliver's hair before touching back down to the ground.<br>"Quick thinking Darcy! Absolutely brilliant!" Roger exclaimed while pulling you into a tight hug and planting a kiss on your on cheek. Freddie came up behind him and also pulled you into a tight embrace.  
>"Better luck next time Cho" you said with a satisfied smirk before turning on your heel and walking off the pitch feeling particularly pleased.<p>

You woke up the next morning with a smile still plastered on your face. Last night you got to show up Cho and Oliver, it had been a great day.  
>You rolled off your bed groggily causing a large <em>bang<em> to echo through the dorm room. All the other girls you shared a room with bolted awake at the noise.  
>"Darcy! Just get out of your bed the normal way, so you don't wake us all up!" Padma yelled.<br>"Sorry gals, I just thought you might want to be up by now. There's only an hour before we leave for Hogsmeade and honestly Padma your hair looks like a bird's nest." you said civilly.  
>"Only an hour?" she screeched literally jumping out of her bed and sprinting over to the bathrooms with her lackeys closely following after her.<br>"Well that got rid of them" you chuckled quietly to yourself.

You trudged over to your trunk and rummaged through it looking for something to wear. You wanted to look somewhat nice, because you were going to Hogsmeade, but at the same time you didn't want to give Roger the idea you were dressing up for him. You eventually decided on a pair of faded hip hugger jeans with a rip in one knee and a black belt with a rather tight black t-shirt that adorned a red dragon on the front. You brushed your hair and decided just to leave it down for once. You reached for the little make up you actually owned, but then decided against it. '_Why bother, it's only Roger_' you thought to yourself. You only really wore make-up on special occasions and only subtly, just enough to enhance your natural beauty.

"That was not funny Anna!" Jane Whitmore, a short girl with frizzy red hair snapped walking into the room. You laughed quietly as you realized they must have finally figured out they still had three hours.  
>"Sorry, my clock must be a bit off" you lied trying your best to sound sincere, but failing miserably. Jane just stuck her nose up at you and exited the room looking quite annoyed.<p>

You sighed and then willed yourself to walk down the stairs to the Ravenclaw Common Room; you were silently praying Roger wasn't up yet. To your relief when you got down there, hardly anyone was in the room. Only a few Ravenclaw first year boys trying to figure out a question Professor Snape had given them for homework.  
>"Look on page one hundred and forty five in your book" you said to them as you passed by. They smiled gratefully at you and immediately flicked to that page.<p>

You departed from the Common Room and down the stairs toward the Great Hall for breakfast. For some reason you didn't really feel hungry that morning, but the Great Hall was better than the Common Room by far.  
>"Anna! Anna wait up!" a voice called from behind you and you instantly knew to whom it belonged.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>You froze immediately in place and turned around to see Draco jogging toward you.<p>

"Hey there Mr. Malfoy! How are you this fine morning?" you asked cheerfully.  
>"I've been better" he said with a shrug, "I have been running from Pansy for the last hour, but I think I lost her around that last corner" Draco said peering over to see if she was approaching. Then you both saw her emerge from behind the corner, her eyes began to dart around the hallway for Draco.<br>"Come on" you hissed pulling him quickly by the wrist over to a statue of a knight. "Patronus" you whispered under your breath and the knight moved a little to the left revealing a secret passageway. You pulled Draco into the room and muttered "Patronus" again to close it back up.

"What is this place?" Draco asked astounded as he peered around the room. It was a large circular room with many bookshelves, a fireplace, and a small, plush couch in the middle.  
>"I don't really know, but I call it The Room." you answered.<br>"Well that's original." Draco teased.  
>You just stuck your tongue out at him and plopped down on the couch in front of the fire.<br>"So how did you find this place?" he asked curiously.  
>"Oh come on! I was Fred and George's partner in crime for two bloody years. I know every single secret passage and room in this entire castle. I bet you I know more than Dumbledore and Filch combined." you said with a smile.<br>"Well aren't you the clever little troublemaker." Draco laughed still staring around at the room.  
>"I haven't caused any trouble yet though, it's starting to really depress me." you said sighing heavily.<br>Draco turned and smiled affectionately at you, "Well it shouldn't be long." he laughed.  
>"Nope! I'm picking up some <em>supplies<em> today in Hogsmeade! And is that a smile I see on your face? A genuine _smile_, not a smirk? Wow Mr. Malfoy I must say I'm impressed!" you said grinning from ear to ear.  
>"Only you Anna Darcy!" he laughed, "only you can make me smile".<br>You blushed slightly as he said this and you felt your stomach do a pleasant flip-flop. "Well I wish you'd smile more, you're quite adorable when you do." you said casually.  
>"Quite adorable, huh?" Draco inquired, the smirk popping back on to his face.<br>"Gah! And the smirk is back ladies and gentleman!" you exclaimed as you spotted it. Draco started laughing and plopped down in the seat next to you.  
>"I wish we could just stay in here all day instead of going to Hogsmeade. How about it? Let's just ditch them and hang out here" Draco suggested.<br>"Can't do it mate, I don't want to humiliate the poor bloke. Wood would have a field day if I didn't show up for our _date._" you said that last word in disgust. "Plus we don't want to break Pansy's heart now do we?" you added.  
>Draco shrugged, "it's not like she really <em>likes<em> me, she just likes the idea of being with me." he said sounding a little dejected.  
>"Now why wouldn't she like you?" you responded.<br>"Well she might if she actually knew me, but none of them really know me. The other Slytherins, I mean, or anyone in Hogwarts for that matter. They just know me as the Death Eater's son who one day will grow up to be just like his dear old dad." Draco spat irritably. "No one wants to know the real Draco Malfoy, because in reality no one cares." he sighed.  
>"I'd like to know the real Draco Malfoy." you replied softly placing your hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "If it helps no one really knows me either." you whispered.<br>"What do you mean? You don't hide who you are for anyone! You're a complete nutcase Anna, but you embrace it. You don't try to hide behind a mask, you're just who you are..." Draco finished quietly.  
>"I've got my secrets too Draco. There's things in my life that I am not proud of, that no one else knows." you said as you looked down at your watch. You saw there was only about ten minutes until the carriages left for Hogsmeade, Roger no doubt was searching everywhere for you right now. You sighed sadly knowing you would have to leave, but your heart wanted to stay with Draco. You were longing to know who he called the real Draco, but it would have to wait for now.<br>"How about I get to know you later, we've got a Hogsmeade trip to go on." you said desolately.  
>He looked up from the ground and straight into your eyes. His piercing ice blue eyes took your breath away. He nodded lightly "I'll see you later then?" he said standing up from the couch.<br>"You bet." you said sweetly and before you knew what you were doing you pulled him into a warm hug. You weren't sure what made you do it, but it seemed like the right thing to do. And you had to admit you liked being so close to him.

"Roger! Roger, stop yelling like a madman. I'm right here!" you laughed jumping on his back from behind.  
>"Anna! Thank Merlin! I thought you were going to stand me up, the carriages leave in three minutes!" he exclaimed, looking extremely relieved to see you.<br>"Yeah, sorry about that mate. I lost track of time" you apologized flashing him your best puppy dog eyes.  
>"Alright, alright pouty you're forgiven!" he laughed draping his arm around you and leading you off toward the black carriages. As you approached you stared at the magical creatures, which pulled them, the thestrals. They always took your breath away when you saw them. It always amazed you how something so dark and associated with something as terrible as death, could at the same time still be so beautiful, you just had to look past the exterior. '<em>Almost like Draco...<em>' you thought silently.  
>"You okay Anna?" Roger asked concerned noticing the wistful look in your eyes.<br>"Oh yeah, just admiring the thestrals" you said nodding toward the creatures.  
>"Can't see them" Roger said with a shrug, "but I've seen some pictures of them. They're a little creepy, aren't they?" he asked inquisitively.<br>"No not at all, you just have to look past the initial impression..." you sighed.

Roger nodded before ushering you into the carriage. You made to sit in the seat across from him, but he gently pulled you over to the seat next to him and once more put his arm nonchalantly around your shoulder. You kept the conversation going about Quidditch for the duration of the carriage ride, afraid that an awkward silence might lead to him kissing you. Finally the carriage came to a halt and you both exited.  
>"So, where to first, my lady?" Roger asked as he grasped your hand in his.<br>"Well I know how eager you are to go the Quidditch supply shop." you laughed and as you said this, his face lit up.  
>"Quidditch supply shop it is!" he declared before virtually sprinting over to the store like a five year old on Christmas morning. In the shop the two of you went your separate ways, Roger was checking out some keeper gloves while you were looking at the latest broom models.<p>

"That's a nice broom, isn't it?" Draco asked coming up behind you and catching you off guard. You had been gaping at a Nimbus 2001 for the last twenty minutes; you knew damn well that a Firebolt was completely out of the question, so you didn't even bother glancing at one.  
>"It's a great broom, I'd kill for one. I'm still riding a Comet Two Sixty and that little witch Cho likes to remind me of it every damn practice" you said through gritted teeth.<br>"Well, why don't you get one?" Draco asked.  
>"My foster parents don't have that kind of money" you answered running your fingers over the broom's handle one last time. You turned around to see Draco smiling from ear to ear. "What are you so smiley about?" you asked.<br>"Oh nothing!" he replied unconvincingly, "I'll see you later, I think I hear Pansy" he said before slipping out of the shop quietly to avoid being spotted by his date.

"Well I got some new gloves!" Roger exclaimed walking over to you with a stupid grin on his face, "ready to go now or are you still looking?"  
>"Nope I'm ready, let's go to Zonko's next okay?" you asked.<br>"Yeah sure thing" he said taking your hand again and leading you out of the shop, then down the street toward your favorite place in Hogsmeade, Zonko's Joke Shop.  
>"Miss Darcy! I've been awaiting your arrival" the shopkeeper Mr. Zonko exclaimed gleefully as you walked through the door.<br>"Mr. Zonko! It's been too long" you said as he bounced over and shook your hand vigorously.  
>"I've got some new merchandise my lady, I think you'll find it very interesting" Mr. Zonko said with a secretive wink before pulling you to the corner of the store.<br>After purchasing some canary creams, exploding crumpets, trick wands, firecrackers, and of course some good old-fashioned dung bombs you and Roger left the store.  
>"What are you going to do with all that?" Roger asked suspiciously, "Not get a gazillion points docked from Ravenclaw I hope".<br>"Of course not! Me get points docked off, that's preposterous" you said sarcastically.  
>"I'm serious Anna; it's my last year here. I'd like to leave the house cup champion." Roger said giving you a stern look.<br>"Oh lighten up Davies, I'll behave!" you said rolling your eyes at him, "so where would you like to go next? Honestly I'm starved" you said. Your decision not to eat breakfast had really caught up to you.  
>"How about we go to that tea place down across the street" Roger suggested.<br>"Or we could go to the Three Broomsticks?" you added remembering what Luna had said to you. '_That's where he takes innocent girls like yourself_'.  
>"Naw- it's always so crowded in there. Let's go here" he said with a smile. You forced a smile back and solemnly followed him over to the little shop.<p>

It was rather cozy place with steamy windows and a delightful smell. It about a dozen round tables adorned with doilies and pink table clothes dispersed around the room. There were only two chairs set up at each table, signaling it was a place meant for couples. Exquisite red and pink flowers, primarily roses, draped from the walls giving the place an air of elegance and sophistication.  
>Roger escorted you over to a table in front of the window. You sat across from him and then looked around the room. Your hands began to tremble nervously as you took in your surroundings. Every table held a Hogwarts couple, like Michael Corner and Padma Patil who were kissing, Hannah Abbot and Justin Flitch-Fletchy who could not keep their hands off each other, and even Cho and Harry were occupying a table. Harry was fumbling nervously with his napkin and Cho was looking somewhat bored as she absentmindedly twirled her hair. Then you noticed another humorous sight; Draco and Pansy were sharing a table toward the back of the room. Pansy was attempting to scoot her chair closer to Draco, but Draco kept backing away looking tremendously uncomfortable with the situation.<p>

"What can I get you two lovebirds?" a plump woman wearing an apron asked taking out a pen and pad.  
>"I'll have a cup of green tea and a blueberry muffin please" you answered.<br>"I'll have what she's having" Roger said smoothly as he winked at you.  
>"Your orders will be out in a second, dearies!" the woman said cheerily before scurrying over to the next table. Roger smiled at you as she left and scooted his chair closer.<p>

"_Sooo_.. Nice weather we're having, huh?" you exclaimed nervously as you attempted to scoot your chair away from him.  
>"Actually it just started raining." Roger laughed motioning toward the window.<br>"Oh- yeah, right" you replied a bit embarrassed.  
>"You know I'm really glad you decided to come to Hogsmeade with me today" Roger said placing his hand gently on top of yours, which you had foolishly left on the table.<br>"Oh well- you're my mate!" you responded, emphasizing the word 'mate'.  
>"Of course" Roger replied softly before leaning his face in closer toward yours. At this you completely froze up, you had no idea what to do in the situation. Should you let him kiss you? Or push him away? Or run out of the teashop screaming your bloody lungs out. At the moment the third option seemed like the best idea to you, but someone beat you to the punch.<p>

"Oh Harry! Really you are a bloody idiot, you know that?" Cho shrieked jumping up from her seat to reveal a large wet spot on the front of her dress. Your head had immediately spun around at her outburst and thankfully it had also distracted Roger for the time being. "This is a brand new dress and you spilt tea all over it!" she whined.  
>"I'm- I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean to" Harry stuttered out, he was beginning to turn bright red in embarrassment. It wasn't helping that the entire place had stopped to watch the little predicament either.<br>"Oh stop your whining Chang, it is just a dress! And I'm sure Harry didn't mean to." you called out from your table.  
>"What would you know Darcy? It's not like you own anything <em>nice<em>! I mean look at the rags you are wearing now!" she hissed glaring daggers at you.  
>You were just about to reply with one of your usual witty remarks when somebody else burst into the conversation. "Why don't you shut your trap Chang!" Draco barked standing up from his table looking very angry.<br>Cho looked utterly shocked that Draco had actually addressed her or that he found any need at all to join in on the argument. "W-what do you care Malfoy?" she finally managed to blurt out through her confusion.  
>"Well frankly you're being a bitch, just leave Anna alone" Draco replied calmly before sitting back down. A horrified look spread across Cho's face making you giggle a little. You looked over at Draco who quickly glanced over at you and you thought you saw him wink.<br>"Why- why I never!" Cho shouted before stomping out of the teashop, her long black hair flying behind her.  
>There was long period of awkward silence in which everyone's eyes darted between you, Harry, and Draco.<br>"Well that didn't go too well..." Harry mumbled forlornly as he stood up and sauntered out of the shop.


	6. Chapter 6

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>'<em>Poor bloke<em>' you thought sadly as Harry walked out of the shop with his head hanging low. Then suddenly you saw a window of opportunity open up. "I should really go after him; he'll need a friend" you said quickly referring to Harry, "Thanks for everything, I had fun" you added kissing Roger swiftly on the cheek before hurrying out of the shop after Harry before Roger could react to what you said.

"Harry! Harry, wait up!" you called jogging down the street after him.  
>Harry turned around to face you, he looked very depressed. "Oh hey Anna, what are you doing here? I thought you were on a date with Roger" he said.<br>"Well I was, but I thought you might need someone to talk to," you said putting your hand on his shoulder. "Plus I didn't want you interrupting carrot top and Granger's alone time." you added with a wink.  
>"Hah, I almost forgot" Harry laughed weakly; "I was just going to go find them too".<br>"Well if you don't mind confiding in me, I say we leave them alone" you said.  
>"Yeah I think you're right" Harry agreed smiling slightly at you. "Thank you by the way for sticking up for me back there, I appreciate it".<br>"Of course! I'm always there for a mate in need" you said as the two of you began to walk down the street side by side.  
>"I'm bloody hopeless Anna" Harry sighed shaking his head in frustration, "I mean I completely screwed up that date with Cho" he sighed.<br>"Naw- you didn't do anything wrong! She was just being her usual drama queen self" you replied.  
>"Yeah, but now there is no hope of her going with me to the Halloween dance" Harry mumbled.<br>"Well that's a whole month away, nothing to worry about just yet!" you said encouragingly, "who knows she might warm up to you again by then. I don't see why you would want her to though; honestly she's a bit of an annoying prat".  
>Harry chuckled as you said this, "I think you just might be right Anna".<br>"Of course I'm right, I am _always_ right" you said in mock seriousness.  
>Harry smiled warmly at you before his expression became suddenly stern, "can I ask you something Anna?"<br>"Go for it" you replied.  
>"Why did Malfoy stick up for you like that back there? I thought you two hated each other" he asked sounding puzzled.<br>"Well hate is a strong word isn't it mate? And Malfoy isn't such a bad bloke is he? I mean there is good in everybody if you take the time to look" you answered.  
>"I highly doubt there is any good in Draco Malfoy" Harry responded.<br>"Well there must be, he did stick up for me right?" you retorted.  
>"Maybe he just hates Cho even more than he hates you" Harry said with a shrug, "but you don't want to get involved with a Malfoy it's dangerous. I mean think about who is parents are and what it would do to your reputation" Harry said.<br>"Hah! Reputation? Not like I've got much of a reputation to lose now do I. What would happen? Instead of that mental Ravenclaw chick would I be demoted to that mental Ravenclaw chick whose friends with that Slytherin butthead?" you said sarcastically.  
>"Don't get sarcastic with me Darcy, I'm serious. People may think you're a little off your rocker, but they sure as hell respect you as a decent human being. If they see you getting involved with a jerk like Malfoy, they'll think differently of you. They'll that you're just like him" Harry said firmly.<br>"Alright, alright! Jeez first Roger telling me to behave, now you! When did all my friends become bloody professors on me?" you exclaimed.  
>Harry laughed and ruffled your hair playfully; "just looking out for my mate" he said pulling you into a side hug.<p>

You walked back into the school solemnly after the trip to Hogsmeade. Your mind was racing with a million different thoughts. Harry's words about Draco and your reputation kept repeating in your mind. You finally concluded that Harry, much to your sadness, was actually right. The majority of people (save the Slytherins of course) at Hogwarts respected you as a decent, respectable person who was accepting of all wizards whether they are muggle-borns, purebloods, of halfbloods. Would that reputation go completely out the window if you were openly friends of possibly even more than friends with Malfoy? The thing you feared most in the world was ending up like your true parents, would Draco lead you down that path?

You pushed these thoughts temporarily out of your mind when you saw Hermione skipping toward you. "Hey there Herms, the date went well I see?" you laughed.  
>"Oh it was splendid! We talked the whole time, no awkward silence or anything" she sighed giving you a warm hug. "How did your date go?"<br>"It was alright, but I left halfway through it" you answered with a shrug.  
>"You left?" Hermione asked outraged, "you left Roger Davies? Girl, you're mad".<br>"Well that's not necessarily news is it?" you joked. "Anyways I left, because I thought Harry could use some consoling. His date went miserably" you said.  
>"Oh dear, did it really? He was so excited for it too" Hermione said sadly. "I should go find him, knowing Ron he'll just make the whole thing worse" Hermione muttered.<br>"Bye Herms" you said, "I'll see you in the morning" you said giving her a quick goodnight hug before she trotted off down the hall.

Up in your dorm room you lay sprawled out on your bed staring blankly out your window into the darkness of the night. You felt like you were searching for something in the blackness, something you just couldn't find.  
>You were snapped back into reality as a loud tapping came from your window. You jumped up, but relaxed when you saw it was just an owl. You opened up the window to allow a beautiful midnight black owl with yellow eyes to fly inside and land on your bed. It dropped a letter addressed to you before hurriedly flying off out the window.<br>You curiously picked up the letter that lay before you and began to read...

_Anna, I didn't get a chance to talk to you at or after Hogsmeade. Please meet in the astronomy tower tonight at 10:30. _

_You said you wanted to know me; well, here is your chance. _

_I hope you come.  
><em>

_Signed Yours,  
><em>

_Draco_

You gasped as you read the letter and re-read it over again. He wanted to meet you at the astronomy tower, alone, tonight... Should you go? Or should you stand him up? Harry's thoughts once more flooded your mind, but you realized you didn't care. You wanted to know who the real Draco Malfoy was and you longed to be near him no matter how hard you tried to deny it. His ice blue eyes constantly occupied your thoughts. Besides no one would know about your meeting, it was past curfew so the rest of the school would be sound asleep oblivious to whatever was going on in the astronomy tower.  
>You stood up from your bed finally decided and walked over to your mirror. You brushed your hair and pulled it back into a red satin ribbon. You put on a long, flowing black skirt and an off-the-shoulder black shirt with a spaghetti strapped black tank top under it and swept off to the tower.<p>

You walked slowly up the dark stairs making sure not to trip on the way. You couldn't light your wand, because you couldn't risk getting caught out past curfew. You had snuck out a million times before, but tonight you felt a rush like you had never felt before. You walked on to the top of the tower, which was a small circular room surrounded by large, open windows.

A warm, summer night breeze swept over you blowing your hair in front of your face and causing your flowing skirt to blow elegantly in the wind.  
>You spotted Draco standing by one of the windows peering out into the darkness. His platinum blonde hair fell over his incredible, ice blue eyes that shone magnificently in the moonlight. Your heart skipped a beat and you bit your bottom lip nervously as you approached him.<br>He suddenly turned to face you; his eyes stared right into yours.

"You came." he whispered.  
>"Well I couldn't pass up a chance to get to know you, could I?" you replied.<br>He smiled at you and wrapped his arm around your waist pulling you close to him. You both faced the window and stared out into the darkness.  
>"I'm not who everyone thinks I am, Anna, I'm not a Death Eater." he started. This first sentence caused a wave of relief to wash over you; the last thing in the world you wanted was for Draco to be a Death Eater like his father. You didn't want him to be like your dear old parents, the people you had been trying to run away from all your life.<p>

From that sentence on you spent the next few hours standing with Draco in the darkness of the tower under the twinkling stars that filled the sky. He told about how he had been taught to treat muggle-borns and halfbloods as inferiors for his entire life. His parents always used to tell him he was on a higher scale of wizards, because how rich, pureblooded and influential his family was. He told you how his father would beat him if he caught him playing with the neighborhood muggle children when he was just a mere seven year old and even recently when he could not perform the Dark spells his father had tried to teach him over the summer. He also grew up always being told that one day he would become a Death Eater and support the Dark Lord.

"It was just so easy you know? It was like my entire life was handed to me on a silver platter. Basically it was like I didn't need to work, because I would one day be just like my father, a Death Eater. I just accepted it and got used to it, until one day when I realized it wasn't the path I wanted..." Draco trailed off.  
>"When was that day?" you asked curiously feeling intrigued to what changed his mind after all those years.<br>"In the Ministry of Magic last year, when you went with Potter and his friends to save that Sirius guy" Draco said.  
>"You mean in the Department of Mysteries?" you asked wincing a little, you hated to remember that day. That was the day you were forced to watch Sirius Black die, one of the kindest men you had ever met. It was also the day you almost had to witness the murder of your best friend, plus it landed you in St. Mungo's for two straight weeks unconscious after a pretty bad spell to the chest cast by one of the Death Eaters.<br>"Yeah. Do you remember when I walked in when you and Hermione were in the room and my father- he uh- well he-" Draco started.  
>"Was about to kill her" you finished for him, remembering the scene very clearly in your mind...<p>

_"Well if it isn't Potter's little mudblood friend" Lucius Malfoy sneered inching closer to Hermione. She back up against the wall nervously while you still lay clutching your broken ankle in the corner.  
>"And who is this?" Lucius asked coldly finally noticing you. He stepped closer and muttered "lumos" so to see you better. He gasped as he saw your face. "Why- why you're Lestrange's daughter!" he said in shock, "you're a Death Eater's daughter" he finished.<br>"I am not their daughter! I'm Anna Darcy; I am no longer a Lestrange. They've been rotting in the pits of Azkaban for nearly fourteen years now I believe, they are as good as dead to me" you spat angrily. You looked over to see a look of pure shock on Hermione's face.  
>"You are what you are Miss Lestrange, there is not denying it" Lucius sneered, "you know you look just like your father" he said thoughtfully before rounding back on Hermione with a menacing look in his eyes.<br>"Are you ready to die girl?" he asked maliciously before raising his wand over her trembling body. You fought to get and run to her, to help her in any way, but the pain in your leg would not allow it. Tears poured down from your honey brown eyes as you realized you were going to have to watch your best friend in the world die in front of you.  
>"AVADA-" Lucius began, but before he could finish the spell he was interrupted. A loud bang came from the other side of the room and his son Draco Malfoy came stumbling in. It was probably the only time in your life you had been thankful for the little weasel's appearance. He had slicked back hair and a constant smug expression on his face that made you nauseous.<br>"Draco, what the hell are you doing here?" Lucius snapped angrily. "I was just going to kill of this mudblood filth" he added pointing to Hermione who was now sobbing hysterically into her knees.  
>"Leave her the hell alone!" you shouted from your spot in the corner, "she doesn't deserve to die you pompous piece of trash! You're the filth if you ask me" you hissed.<br>"Oh you've got a sharp tongue, just like your mother" Lucius said with a smirk before raising his wand to Hermione once again. You looked up at Draco pleadingly, but knowing it was no use. To your surprise though there was actually a look of horror on his face, not at all what you had expected.  
>You finally willed yourself to stand up and luckily Lucius didn't notice and Draco hadn't said a word of warning to his father, but instead stood silent and watched you proceed in walking over to him and knocking him hard on the head with a candlestick you grabbed on the way.<br>You bolted to Hermione's side and the two of you sped from the room as quickly as possible, though you could really only hobble. Your eyes met Draco's for a split second as you left. To your bewilderment he didn't even try to stop you, he just watched the look of horror still on his face._

"When he said he was going to kill her I started to think for once in my life. I thought about you being forced to watch the murder of your best friend, I thought about Weasel never getting to tell her how much he obviously liked her, I even thought about how her parents would feel about the whole thing. Then I realized how my father didn't even care what he was doing. It horrified me how someone could kill so freely without even a second thought to what he was doing and to whom he was hurting. That was when I decided that I, Draco Malfoy, would never ever be a Death Eater" Draco finished.  
>You looked at him in wonder, "wow Draco" was all you could manage to say.<br>"Well now you know the real Draco, the one who no one else does." he said, "Now, about you…" he said turning to face you for the first time.  
>You looked down at your watch and realized how late it actually was, you would have to get up in a few hours.<p>

"That will have to wait for another night" you sighed "it's getting late".  
>Draco looked a little disappointed, but nodded in agreement. "Until we meet again Anna Darcy" he whispered pulling you into a tight hug. You hugged him back and walked over to the door of the tower.<br>"You coming?" you asked.  
>"No I'm going to stay up here for awhile" he replied.<br>"Okay then" you said turning back around to leave, but you turned back

"For what it's worth Draco, I like the real you much better" you said with a smile.  
>He smiled back with a twinkle in his remarkable blue eyes and whispered, "Thanks Anna."<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"She just left Roger there at the teashop all alone, can you believe it? Honestly I think that girl was dropped on her head one too many times when she was a baby." you heard Padma telling her friends in the morning as you finally woke up.<br>"Well you know- my mum was a little clumsy." you said sardonically while rolling out of bed causing them to all jump in surprise. They didn't look to distressed that you had overheard them though.  
>You looked at the clock to see you had already slept past breakfast and lunch was in about ten minutes.<br>Padma just smirked at you as you walked out of the room and into the bathroom. As you brushed your hair back into a high ponytail you thought about your night with Draco. It had been on your mind ever since you left; so much that you got barely any sleep that night. You were excited to meet him again tonight, to be close to him once more. You wanted to stand with him in the darkness; you wanted to reveal what you had only revealed to two other people in your life.  
>You weren't sure precisely why you trusted Draco so much, but after what he told you last night you felt like you could. He had shown you his soul and entrusted you with his deepest secrets. And there was something about the way he looked into your eyes last night, like he honestly cared for you. You sighed and leaned up against the wall; all you wanted was for tonight to come.<p>

"Hey Luna" you greeted as you entered the Common Room and sat down beside her.  
>"Good morning Anna, sleep well?" she responded with a bright smile.<br>"Yeah I guess. What's got you in such a good mood?" you asked curiously, you had never seen Luna smile so much in the four years you had known her.  
>"Oh nothing, it's just a brilliant morning isn't it?" she sighed happily placing her book down on the coffee table and taking a deep breath.<br>"Alright something is definitely up," you laughed, "Spill!" you ordered.  
>Luna rolled her eyes at you, but you knew she was about to enlighten divulge whatever had made her so happy.<p>

"Well, first of all, I heard what happened at Hogsmeade yesterday, the whole teashop incident." she explained, "Nearly every girl in this House hates you right about now for leaving Roger by the way."  
>"You think they'd be happy, I mean they all want him and now they can have him" you replied exasperated.<br>She just shrugged, "Girls are just weird, I suppose." Luna said. "Anyways I'm happy Harry has seen Cho for who she really is." she continued.  
>"And that now you have a better chance of getting an invitation to the Halloween Ball from Mr. Potter?" you laughed.<br>She stuck her tongue out at you, "- and that he is over her. At least that's what Ginny told me at breakfast, she overheard him talking to Hermione and Ron last night" Luna said with a silly, girlish grin that you had never seen on her before.  
>"Well aren't you a smitten little kitten!" you teased, "you know I could always mention you to Harry. Very discreetly of course" you said slyly with a wink.<br>"Oh would you Anna? Thank you so much!" Luna exclaimed giving you a hug.  
>"No problem! Anyways I'm going to head down to lunch, I'm famished. Want to come?" you asked.<br>"No thanks, I'm not really hungry at the moment. Plus I have some reading to catch up on" she said pulling a heavy book out of her bag. She held it up to her nose and you were amused to see it was upside down.

You head out through the portrait hole and down the hall in the direction of the Great Hall; you could hear your stomach grumbling begging to be fed.  
>"Anna!" a voice called from behind you when you had almost reached the double doors of the Great Hall, you cursed whoever was behind you under your breath. All you wanted to do right now was eat.<br>You spun around to see Oliver Wood walking over to you with a very smug expression on his handsome face.  
>"What do you want Wood? I'm bloody starving over here" you said impatiently.<br>"Jeez it's nice to see you too Darcy" Oliver replied pretending to be hurt.  
>"Sorry" you mumbled, "how are you this morning?" you asked in a mock polite voice.<br>"I'm doing particularly well actually, I heard about you running out on Davies yesterday. It's because you couldn't stop thinking of me, right?" he asked winking at you and brushing a loose strand of your hair behind your ear.  
>"Oh yeah- that's it Wood! Because I'm so in love with you" you said sarcastically rolling your eyes at him.<br>"So you finally admit it" he laughed putting his arms around your waist.  
>"Ah- don't get to cozy there Wood" you said pushing arms down of your hips.<br>"Hard to get, huh? Just makes it all the more fun" Oliver said in a cocky voice, "Later Darcy" he said walking off.  
>"Yeah, later" you muttered before finally walking through the double doors and into the Great Hall.<p>

As you walked in you spotted Harry waving over to you from the end of the Gryffindor table to come sit with him. You walked over to him happily and plopped down in the seat next to him.  
>"What's up mate?" you asked picking up two sandwiches from the platter in front of you and taking a large, hungry bite out of one that was peanut butter and jelly.<br>"Nothing much, really. Jeez, are you hungry?" he laughed as you devoured your two sandwiches and reached for a third.  
>"STARVED!" you exclaimed, "I missed breakfast mate, slept late. And I can't remember eating dinner last night and I never got my muffin for lunch!" you explained in between bites.<br>Harry just nodded, "So have you talked to Roger yet?" he asked curiously.  
>"Nope- luckily I haven't bumped into him yet. I bumped into Oliver though and I'm sure he's been giving him a hard time. I'll have to face him sooner or later, I hope he's not too mad" you sighed. "He can be a little bit of a drama queen sometimes. Speaking of drama queens have you talked to Cho yet?" you asked.<br>"No, I'm not really interested in her anymore. I had a talk with Hermione and Ron last night and just decided she's really not right for me" he said.  
>"Well good for you mate! There's plenty of other fish in the Hogwarts sea, don't you worry" you exclaimed patting him on the back.<br>"Yeah I guess there are" Harry responded looking out through the Great Hall.  
>"Anyone else you had in mind? You know the Halloween Ball is steadily approaching" you said nonchalantly, trying to find the perfect time to throw Luna out into the conversation without making it look obvious.<br>"Yeah, don't remind me" Harry sighed. "I don't really know, I could always ask Parvati I guess. She likes me well enough" he said thoughtfully.  
>"But do you <em>like<em> her mate?" you asked.  
>"No I guess not" he sighed running his fingers through his messy black hair.<br>"Well you know not all the girls in Ravenclaw are as bad as Cho" you said casually.  
>"I don't know, I'm a little weary of Ravenclaw girls now. I mean there's you who's bloody mental and Cho well who's Cho" he teased.<br>"Oh hush you! It is kind of fun when the girl is a little mental isn't it? I mean it livens things up a bit! Who wants a girl who's actually _normal_?" you said.  
>At this comment Harry raised his eyebrow at you, "what are you getting at?" he asked suspiciously.<br>"Oh Potter I hope you don't think I'm hinting for you to ask me!" you laughed figuring out what he was thinking.  
>"Thank Merlin, you were scaring me a little there Darcy" he joked, looking relieved. You knew Harry had always only thought of you as a friend and nothing more. "So who it you were trying to hint at?" he asked.<br>"Think about it Harry... a bit on the mental side, a Ravenclaw, very pretty, my good friend…" you began.  
>He looked at you with eyebrows furrowed in thought when a look of dawning appeared on his face. "You're hinting at Luna Lovegood!" he exclaimed.<br>"Yell it a little bit louder, I don't think that guy at the Slytherin table heard you over there" you said with sarcasm.  
>"Sorry, I was just a little excited I guessed it" he apologized. "Luna, huh? I never really thought about her. I mean she is younger and she's a little crazy, but she is rather pretty. And we did kind of have a moment at the end of last year" Harry said reminiscing.<br>"A moment, huh? What kind of moment Mr. Potter?" you asked excitedly.  
>"Well it was the last day of school and I was heading to the end of the year feast and well she was putting up a sign asking for everyone to return back her stuff that they had taken from her. I asked why they took it and I don't know, we just started talking. I felt like I could trust her" he finished.<br>"_Aww_ how sweet!" you giggled. "You guys would make a very nice couple" you said with a smile.  
>He playfully pushed you in the shoulder making you drop your fourth sandwich. "Hey I was eating that buddy!" you yelled nudging him in the ribs.<br>"Ouch! Watch the ribs short stuff!" he teased.  
>"<em>Ugh<em>- you always got to bring up the short thing don't you?" you whined while laughing.  
>"But it's just so tempting" he answered chuckling.<br>"So are you going to ask her?" you inquired calming down a little bit.  
>"You know what- I think I just might." Harry replied cheerfully.<p>

You ascended the stairs up to the astronomy tower just like you had done the night before. Your heart was beating out of your chest as you drew closer and close to where you knew Draco was waiting for you. He was waiting for you to tell him the deepest, darkest secret you had.  
>You stepped out on to the top room of the tower to see Draco there waiting for you. You slowly approached him and hugged him gently.<p>

"I missed you today" he laughed brushing a piece of your hair behind you ear. On days you didn't have Divination you rarely saw each other.  
>"I missed you too" you laughed winking at him.<br>He smiled and then sat down on the stone tower floor and leaned against the wall. You sat down directly across from him on the other side with your hands in your lap.  
>"Well whenever you're ready" he said signaling he was waiting for you to talk.<br>"So you really want to know my secret Mr. Malfoy? Well if you do you can never tell another soul, understand? Only two other people know" you said firmly.  
>"I would never betray your secrets Anna, plus you've got plenty of dirt on me" he laughed.<br>You chuckled a little, but your face suddenly became solemn. "Alright first let me say my name is not Anna Louise Darcy" you said slowly. He raised an eyebrow at you, but you just continued, "My name is Anna Bellatrix Lestrange".


	8. Chapter 8

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>Draco's mouth dropped as you uttered that last sentence, "My name is Anna Bellatrix Lestrange".<br>"C-come again?" he asked, clearly thinking he had heard you incorrectly.  
>"My name is Anna Bellatrix Lestrange." you repeated this time more quietly, fearing his reaction.<br>"B-but h-how?" was all he could manage to stutter out in his shock.  
>"They were sent to Azkaban when I wasn't even a year old, so I was sent to a foster home. I was bounced from different foster homes for a few years when I finally met the Darcy family; they're a humble Wizarding family outside of Hogsmeade. They took me in as their own daughter, so I took their last name and my foster mother's first name as my middle name. I didn't want to be linked to the Lestrange name when I went to Hogwarts, actually I didn't want to be linked to the Lestrange name at all after what they did." you finished gaining a little more confidence.<br>"Wow... I had no idea" he whispered so you could barely hear him.  
>"Yeah, so I'm Death Eater's child just like you" you sighed. "I'm not proud of it, but it's the truth".<br>"How were you not put in Slytherin? Your parents are even higher up You-Know-Who's graces than my father" Draco asked.  
>"The hat saw I had Slytherin blood in me, but it also saw I didn't have the qualities needed to be a Slytherin. I was raised by a poor family and taught differently than I would have if I grew up with my real parents" you answered.<br>Draco just nodded at a complete loss at what to say to you. Finally he spoke, "it doesn't change anything, and I know you're not anything like them. How many people actually know about this?" he asked curiously.  
>"Well, Dumbledore and all the professors know naturally. And then there's Hermione. She only knows, because your father recognized me at the Department of Mysteries and she heard him call me by my real name. And Luna knows, because she overheard me explaining the whole thing to Hermione" you replied.<br>"So I'm the first person you really just came out and told, not by accident?" he asked.  
>"Yeah I guess you are. I just thought you would understand" you said.<br>He nodded and then scooted over to the seat next to you against the wall. He draped his arm around your shoulder and you leaned your head comfortably on his shoulder. He then rested his head on yours and the two of you sat there just being close to each other. You listened to the slow and steady beating of his heart and you felt his warm breath hit the top of your head. You had never felt so perfect in your entire life.  
>"I like being with you Draco" you whispered breaking the silence in the tower.<br>"I like being with you too Anna" he whispered back making you smile.  
>"How do you think people would react if you know- if we <em>were<em> together?" you asked cautiously.  
>"I don't really know. I know it wouldn't be good though" he answered honestly. "People would think different of you Anna and I know my entire House would hate me".<br>At this you turned around and looked him straight in the eyes. "Do you care about me Draco?" you asked bluntly.  
>At first it looked like you had caught him a little off guard, but then his face relaxed. "Yeah Anna, I do. I care about you more than I've ever cared for someone else I think" he answered sincerely. "There's just something about you, you're the first person I've ever really trusted and you know me for who I really am" he continued.<br>"So what do we do?" you whispered placing your hand gently on his cheek, "do we keep this a secret?" you asked.  
>He looked out into the darkness, his eyebrows furrowed as if in deep thought. "I think it would be for the best..." he answered dolefully and you nodded. It wasn't the answer you had wanted to hear, but you know it was the only way, for the time being anyways.<br>"I'll see you tomorrow night then" you said softly before standing up and sweeping off down the stairs toward the Ravenclaw Common Room.  
>You couldn't sleep at all that night; your mind was racing with thoughts of Draco. You and Draco were now, in a sense, more than just friends, but you were forced to keep your feelings a secret from the rest of the school. You wished you could tell the world about him and how happy you were, but you knew you couldn't just yet. <em>One day, one day I'll tell the world<em>, you told yourself, but for now there would only be those secret meetings in the tower away from the judging eyes of Hogwarts.

"Anna Darcy!" someone yelled sternly behind you and you knew whom the voice belonged to. You moaned to yourself as you reluctantly turned to face the person who had called out your name in the hall.  
>"Hello Roger" you greeted trying to sound cheerful, but you knew this would not be an exactly pleasant conversation between the two of you.<br>"You embarrassed the hell out of me Anna! How could you do that? Wood has been on my case for the last week and now you're bloody avoiding me! Real nice Anna, real nice!" he shouted heatedly.  
>"I've been avoiding you, because I knew you'd do this! Look I'm sorry I hurt your precious little ego, but Harry needed someone after Cho's little spaz attack back there okay?" you replied.<br>He sighed in frustration and just glared at you. "Our match is at 2:00, be there at 1:15, alright?" he said emotionlessly before storming away.

"Well that was fun" you muttered to yourself before continuing your walk down the hall to your first class that day, Advanced Potions.

Potions was your least favorite class of all, but you did seem to have a knack for it much to Snape's dislike. Snape had always hated you and you figured it was something to do with who your parents were, but you weren't entirely sure.

You sauntered miserably into the classroom not looking forward to being yelled at even more. As you walked in you made first to take the unoccupied seat next to Draco, but then remembered that your _friendship_was a secret. You casually turned and took the seat next to Harry feeling a twinge of jealousy as Pansy took the spot next to Draco.

"Hey" you greeted shortly before pulling out your cauldron and textbook.  
>"Hey, I have news" Harry whispered in your ear.<br>"Yeah, mate?" you asked turning away from your cauldron to face him.  
>"I asked Luna to the Halloween Ball yesterday and well, she said yes" Harry said with a boyish grin.<br>"That's great Harry!" you exclaimed pulling him into a quick, friendly hug. Although it was only a friendly hug you could feel Draco's envious glare behind you.

Suddenly the entire classroom fell silent as Professor Snape came sweeping in, slamming the door loudly behind him. "Today we will be making a Calming Potion; the directions are on the board. Get started" he hissed.  
>You muttered "Damn potions" under your breath and began to cut up some wolfsbane for your potion. You worked hard all class, actually behaving for once, until something pushed you over the edge...<p>

"Mr. Potter! What is this?" Snape asked cruelly as he looked into Harry's potion.  
>"It's uh- my potion" Harry answered confused.<br>"I do not take well to cheating in my class Mr. Potter!" Snape hissed angrily.  
>"But- but sir I didn't cheat" Harry replied still completely confused by what was happening.<br>"Then explain to me why your potion is the exact same color as Miss Darcy's" Snape snapped.  
>This put you into pissed-off-Anna mode, a mode few wanted to face the wrath of. "Uh- because we both did it right?" you replied in a '<em>duh<em>' tone. "Look Amy's potion is purple too! I wondered if she cheated off me?" you cried pretending to be scandalized referring to a blonde Hufflepuff girl all the way in the back of the room. "Oh my god, Draco and Pansy too! AND HERMIONE? Is this whole bloody class cheating off me?" you exclaimed.  
>You heard a few students let out a snort, while the other stuffed their fists in their mouth and did their best to suppress their laughter.<br>"I don't like your attitude Miss Darcy" he sneered, "thirty points from Ravenclaw!" he declared looking rather pleased with himself.  
>"Thirty points? Wow you're raising the numbers this year, eh? Last year sarcastic remarks would have only gotten me fifteen points docked off" you laughed feeling rather daring at the moment. Snape spun around and stared at you for a second, with a malicious look in his cold black eyes.<br>"Fifty points from Ravenclaw Miss Darcy and detention tomorrow" he said in a dangerously calm voice before turning to the class. "Everyone please flask your potions and bring them up to the front" he ordered.  
>You poured your flawlessly made potion into a flask and set it on Snape's desk. "I'll see you tomorrow Professor!" you said cheerily before skipping out of the classroom. "First detention of the year!" you cried out to no one in particular pounding your first triumphantly in the air.<br>"I cannot believe you just did that!" Hermione hissed catching up to you.  
>"Neither can I! You were brilliant" Harry exclaimed patting you on the back.<br>"Oh don't encourage her Harry! What you did back there was completely irresponsible! FIFTY POINTS? Your House is going to kill you! And detention too!" Hermione began to lecture and you started to tune her out.  
>"I still say it was brilliant" Harry said, "she stuck up for me Hermione!"<br>"Oh please, you're just happy because now Gryffindor is in the lead for points" Hermione snapped before storming away.  
>"She'll forget by dinner time" you laughed as well as Harry who knew you were right. Hermione always got mad at you after you got yourself in trouble, but it never lasted very long.<br>"Yes, you are just far too cute to stay mad at for very long" he joked ruffling your hair.  
>"I know, I know! Cuteness mate, it's a curse!" you laughed.<p>

"What in bloody hell were you thinking back there Darcy?" Padma Patil yelled as she caught up with you and Harry in the hall.  
>"He wrongly accused my mate of cheating; I just wasn't going to sit back and take that" you replied.<br>"That's exactly what you should have done! Sat back and sucked it up! Now we've been bumped back to third in the House Cup standings!" she cried.  
>"Calm down lassie, it's only October!" you laughed, "plenty of time for you teacher's pets to make up for the lost points" you finished.<br>"It won't matter how many points us teacher's pets get if you keep pulling stunts like that Darcy! Just you wait until I tell Roger!" Padma hissed before walking away.

"_Oooh_ now I'm scared!" you said sarcastically to yourself. "Did you hear that right there? That's all I am going to be hearing for a week" you said to Harry, "but it was so worth it just to see that look on Snape's face!"  
>"I don't know how you didn't get in Gryffindor" Harry laughed, "our House is usually the one with a knack for troublemaking you know".<br>"It said I had a creative mind that belonged in Ravenclaw" you said with a shrug.  
>"Creative, huh? Is that what they're calling mental people these days?" Harry asked prompting to you to shoot him a fake glare and nudge him hard in the ribs.<br>"So are you going to the Quidditch match today? They're ending classes early for it!" you said.  
>"Wouldn't miss it!" he answered as you two sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch, you didn't want to have to deal with your House just yet. "Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw, it should be a pretty good match" Harry commented.<br>"Yeah, let's just hope I live through it. Those chasers of theirs play dirty, especially Flint. Last match I played against him he almost bloody killed me" you said.  
>"You're fast though and tricky, you'll be able to keep away from them" Harry replied encouragingly.<br>"Hah! Not with that crappy ass broom of mine" you moaned, "they're all on bloody Nimbus 2001s!"

You continued to talk until you noticed that Harry was no longer listening, he was staring up at the ceiling. You curiously looked up to see four owls carrying a rather long, large looking parcel. The entire Hall had stopped eating to see who would be receiving the package. To your shock the owls flew straight toward you and dropped the package on top of your half eaten peanut butter sandwich.  
>"What in bloody hell?" you exclaimed as the package landed in front of you. Your eyes traveled over the brown wrapping to see if there was a letter attached.<p>

_Dearest Anna,  
><em>

_You deserve a broomstick that is almost as amazing as you are, I hope you like it.  
><em>

_With Love,  
><em>

_"Your Heart's Seeker"_

You smiled widely as you read the note and your felt your face turning bright red. You knew the package had to be from Draco, because he was the Slytherin seeker. What other seeker would have sent it to you? Certainly not Harry, Cho, or Hufflepuff's Hannah Abbott.  
>You glanced over to the Slytherin table to make eye contact with a smiling Draco; you smiled back at him without making it obvious. You knew his team would kill him if they figured out he sent you a newer, faster broom right before the first match against them.<p>

"Well open it!" Harry demanded impatiently snapping you back into reality.  
>You slowly ripped open the brown wrapping and pulled it off to reveal a shiny new Nimbus 2001. It had a black handle with dark green designs running over the shiny wood. It was the most amazing broom you had ever seen, other than Harry's Firebolt of course.<br>"Wow..." you whispered under your breath.  
>"Who sent you that?" Hermione asked in amazement.<br>"The letter didn't say" you answered, "They just said I deserved a better broom". As you said this you tucked the note away in your robes pocket, you didn't want anyone else to read it for fear they might figure it out.  
>You glanced once more over at Draco and gave him a smile that told him how much you loved it. As he smiled back at you, you felt a weird sensation in your stomach like you had never felt before. Could you be falling in love with Draco Malfoy?<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>You strutted out on the field talking candidly with Freddie with your brand new broom resting proudly on your shoulder. You looked up at the hundreds of cheering students and professors that encircled the pitch. It looked like nearly the entire school had turned out for what would prove to be an <em>interesting<em>match to say the least.

"I live for this" you whispered to Freddie, feeling a rush you only felt on the Quidditch pitch. The crowd made some people nervous, but it gave you an adrenaline rush and pumped you up for the game.  
>"Hell yeah" Freddie replied, "We're going to kick arse today! I feel it" Freddie said confidently.<br>"Well if Roger's not _too_ pissed at me. I hope it doesn't affect our teamwork" you mumbled.  
>"Don't worry Anna, it won't affect his game. He wants to win more than anything" Freddie said.<br>"Yeah I guess you're right, but it still doesn't help that the majority of the team hates me right now" you laughed.  
>"The majority?" Freddie laughed, "You mean everyone except me!"<br>"Thanks Frederick, real encouraging" you said sarcastically.

No one on your team was really talking to you at the moment after getting so many points docked off from Snape.

Freddie just laughed and gave you a side hug before taking his spot on the right side of Roger. You stood on the left side and mounted your broom ready to fly. Madame Hooch walked out to the center of the field.

"Now I want a fair game from all of you, understand?" she said sternly shooting a warning glare at Marcus Flint who had a vicious glow in his eyes.

You all nodded in understanding, at this she blew the whistle loudly and threw the quaffle into the air. You kicked up with amazing speed off the ground and toward the quaffle, clutching it tightly in your arms. You sped down the field toward the three hoops when out of the corner of your eye you saw a bludger barreling straight at your head. You quickly loosened your grip on your broom slightly and hung upside down in the air causing the bludgers to fly right over you. You flipped yourself back up only to find Flint heading straight at you. You dipped down and tossed the ball quickly to Freddie who had gotten open for you. The fact you didn't have the quaffle didn't seem to faze Flint though, he flew straight into your side nearly knocking you off your broom.

"Bloody hell, Flint! I don't even have the goddamn quaffle!" you yelled angrily as you attempted to steady yourself using your now bruised right arm. Flint just smiled maliciously at you signaling that was just the first of much more to come.

The game had only been going on twenty minutes and the score was 100-10 Ravenclaw. It had been a brutal game though, you were already bruised from head to toe and pretty sure you had broken your right wrist when the Slytherin beater Vincent Crabbe pretended to '_miss_' the bludger and smack his bat right down on your throwing arm. Cho and Draco had been circling the field monotonously the entire game without any sign of the snitch. Draco more than once had to catch himself when he was about to yell at one of his teammates for hurting you.

"FRED I'M OPEN!" you screamed from in front of the left Slytherin hoop, Freddie tossed the quaffle to you perfectly and you threw the ball straight through the hoop, scoring Ravenclaw's eleventh goal of the game. "Take that Flint" you hissed at him as you flew by. He glared at you with a lust for revenge in his horrible brownish green eyes that made you seriously reconsider taunting him like that.

After dodging a bludger sent at you by Goyle, you received a pass from Roger that you caught one handed, because you right arm was now useless. You swerved around and began to fly toward the hoops when suddenly you felt someone grabbing the neck of your Quidditch robes. You were jerked back violently causing you to drop the quaffle to try to keep yourself from plunging fifty feet to the solid ground beneath you. It didn't help though; you had been so caught off guard by the sudden attack that you lost your balance. You clutched on tightly to the stick of your broom, hanging by just one arm. You looked up to see a very satisfied looking Flint hovering over you, but within in seconds the smirk was wiped off his face as Roger and Freddie came hurtling toward him.

Madame Hooch's whistle was blowing shrilly as Freddie and Roger pounced on Marcus in midair, followed closely by Michael Corner who flew over and helped you back safely on to your broom. When you finally got yourself sturdier on the broom you turned to see Michael and Adam trying to restrain Freddie and Roger, but to no avail. Crabbe and Goyle had resorted to swinging their bats in every direction, while Marcus looked absolutely terrified as he attempted to fly away from Roger and Freddie. Madame Hooch was on the outside of the whole brawl blowing her whistle furiously.

"Penalty against Slytherin, penalty against Ravenclaw! Another penalty for Slytherin, a third! Oh just stop it already!" she yelled in frustration.  
>Everyone on the field and in the stands had been wholly distracted by the fight, so no one saw as Cho and Draco began to speed down to the end of the field. You spotted it out of the corner of your eye and turned to watch, your fingers crossed that Cho would come through for the team.<br>To your amazement a few brief moments later you saw Cho fly into the air pounding her fist victoriously, while a crestfallen Draco flew toward the ground.

"Guys stop it!" you yelled grabbing Freddie's arm and trying to pull him away from Flint, "we won you idiot!" you laughed.  
>"We won?" Freddie exclaimed letting go of Flint's neck and wrapping his arms around you.<br>"We did win!" Roger exclaimed finally noticing Cho had the snitch in her hand.  
>Madame Hooch blew her whistle one last time to signal that the game was over, "RAVENCLAW IS THE WINNER" she announced before flying down to the ground and sighing with great relief the match was over.<p>

You hobbled over to the Ravenclaw locker rooms being supported between Freddie and Michael. Sharp pains were shooting through your entire body and you felt that you might pass out at any moment. You laughed inwardly as you entered the locker room and looked around at your beat up teammates. Roger had a black eye, a bloody lip, and a long scratch running down his cheek to his neck. Freddie had two black eyes and a large bump on his head where he must have been hit by a bat. Michael and Adam were considerably bruised up, both with bloody lips to rival Roger's. You were surprised to see even your keeper Lauren, was in a pretty bad state. Cho seemed to be the only one who was left uninjured after the match.

"You look terrible" Freddie joked sitting down in the spot beside you.  
>"You should talk, you've got a bump the size of a quaffle on your forehead" you laughed, but immediately stopped as a pain shot through your ribs.<br>"So you should see yourself. I've never seen someone with so many bruises" he said.  
>Now curious to see how bad you actually looked, you used your still working left arm to pull a mirror out of your bag. You gasped at your own reflection. You had black eye, a bloody lip, about five large black and blue bruises on various areas of your face, and a large cut on your cheek.<p>

"Bloody hell, I do look horrible!" you exclaimed making Freddie laugh. "That's nothing though, check this out" you said pulling open your robe a little and showing Freddie your bruised up stomach.  
>"That arse! That stupid, ugly little git!" Freddie shouted seeing your stomach.<p>

You then proceeded to lift up your sleeves to show him the many other bruises adorning your body.

"He's going to get it!" Freddie said angrily. Cho and Lauren gasped as they looked at you and Roger was horrified.

"Why didn't you tell me you were so beat up?" he asked kneeling down in front of you.  
>"Well it's not like we have a replacement Chaser, plus I didn't realize how bad it was until I got off my broom. I think that bastard Crabbe might have broken my wrist" you said holding out your right arm. To your disgust the bone was sticking out at an odd angle.<p>

"Those bastards" Roger hissed under his breath, "I'm taking you to the Hospital Wing now" he said sternly. He didn't even wait for a response as he pulled you up into his arms. Freddie as well as the rest of the team followed closely at your heels.  
>"What in bloody hell were they trying to do, kill you?" he muttered more to himself than you.<br>"Yeah probably, they're not too fond of me mate" you laughed feebly.  
>Roger looked down and smiled at your sheepishly, "next time tell me okay? I can talk to Madame Hooch" he said.<br>"She couldn't have stopped Flint today anyways, he was on a mission to kill me by the end of the game, but thanks to you and Frederick back there he didn't succeed" you replied.  
>"The name is Freddie! FREDDIE!" you heard Freddie yelled from behind Roger.<br>"Thanks for doing that back there, even though you didn't really have to go kick the crap out of Flint, I appreciate it" you thanked him.  
>"I am not going to let that arse hurt my friend like that" Roger said smiling.<br>"Friend? So you don't hate me then?" you asked hopefully.  
>"Of course not, we'll always be mates Anna" he laughed; you smiled up at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.<p>

You entered the Hospital Wing only to see basically the entire Slytherin Quidditch team was already there. Flint was whining about a headache where Roger knocked him with his broom handle, while Crabbe, Goyle, Gertrude Blintz, and Geoff Rookwood were whining loudly about some bruises.  
>'<em>Wusses<em>' you thought to yourself as Roger laid you gently down on the bed farthest away from the Slytherins.

"Oh my dear! What did they do to you?" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed as she spotted you, "and you two lay down" she ordered to Freddie and Roger who immediately obeyed; she was a small, plump woman, but not someone to be taken lightly. Madame Pomfrey gave you an appalling tasting blue potion and then scurried over to take care of Roger, Freddie, Michael, Lauren, and Adam who had also shown up muttering something under her breath that sounded like '_stupid, bloody Quidditch_'.

You lay over on the side of your body that wasn't as bruised to try and get some sleep when you noticed the boy in the bed beside you. His name was Blaise Zambini; he was one of the Slytherin chasers and had got mixed up in the scuffle after trying to hold back Flint. Few really knew him, because he was so quiet and introverted. He was perhaps the only Slytherin without the reputation of being a complete arse. He always could be found in the corner reading and it was plain to see he had no friends in his House or in the school for that matter. He was a very smart, good-looking boy though with shaggy black hair streaked with silver and stormy gray eyes.

"Hey how are you feeling?" you asked kindly, noticing a rather large bruise on his left shoulder.  
>He looked taken aback that you had actually talked to him, but then replied; "Oh I'm alright, just a small bruise".<br>"It's not so small mate, that thing's the size of Scotland" you laughed.  
>He smiled warmly at you and then shrugged "yeah I guess it's kind of big, Crabbe got a little too excited with that bat of his" he said coldly.<br>"You're telling me!" you exclaimed holding out the wrist that Crabbe had basically destroyed.  
>"Ouch! Looks like you had it pretty rough out there. I don't know why Marcus targeted you like that; I mean they usually play dirty, but I've never seen them really target someone before" he commented.<br>"They just really don't like me" you responded, "plus I kicked Flint's ass in first year" you said with a satisfied smile as you thought back on that day he had called Hermione a mudblood and you sent him flying into Filch's storage closet with your famous right hook.  
>"Hah! I remember that, he told everyone in the Common Room he let you hit him, so you'd get in trouble" Blaise laughed.<br>"_Riiight_" you said sardonically as you rolled your eyes, "he's just a big baby with bad teeth if you ask me".  
>Blaise laughed again, but quickly stopped and clenched his stomach painfully. He leaned back down on to his pillow and looked at you again, "Look I just want to apologize for my team's behavior. I just wish they'd play fair, so we could actually play a real game of Quidditch" Blaise said the last part with a hint of annoyance.<br>"That's alright mate, don't worry about it. I hold nothing they did against you, you and Draco are the only bloody people on that team who didn't try and kill me" you replied.  
>He nodded before speaking again, "Anyways I also wanted to say you were brilliant with a broom out there. I've never seen anyone who has been able to dodge that many bludgers with such ease. And your passing is flawless!" he said.<br>"Wow, I'm loving the compliments" you said with a wink, "You're pretty good yourself" you added.  
>"Thanks, I wish I could do that move you did on Flint though. You made it look like you were about to pass to Roger, but then flipped over and dropped it down to that other kid. Bloody brilliant!" he exclaimed.<br>"Well I could teach you it sometimes, it's not too hard" you offered; now really beginning to like this kid.  
>"That would be awesome! You know, when you're a little more healed up of course" he added.<br>"Yeah that might be awhile mate" you said as Madame Pomfrey starting applying something to your wrist making you wince in pain.

You spent the rest of your time in the Hospital Wing talking with Blaise about school, Quidditch, and basically everything else under the sun. You wondered why you had never really talked to him before; the two of you actually had a lot in common.  
>"You may go Miss Darcy, you too Mr. Blaise if you wish" Madame Pomfrey said as she scurried over to Flint who was crying out in pain.<br>You rolled your eyes mockingly at Flint before standing up and slowly hobbling out of the Hospital wing, still feeling a little on the lightheaded side.  
>"Hey wait up Anna, I'll walk you" Blaise said cordially coming up and wrapping his arm around your waist to help support you. "Just tell me where the Ravenclaw Common Room is" he added, not sure where to go.<br>"Thanks Blaise! It's just around this corner and up the first flight of stairs" you answered.  
>He slowly helped you up the stairs and in front of the portrait of Sir Ivan who guarded the entrance. "Well this is it mate, thanks for getting me up here" you said.<br>"You sure you don't need any more help?" he asked looking genuinely concerned.  
>"No I'm good, really. Plus they'd kill me if they found out I brought a Slytherin into the Common Room, no offence of course" you added quickly.<br>"None taken" he laughed. "Well I'll see you around then, feel better".  
>"Yeah, see you around" you said giving him a gentle, thank you hug "hope that bruise heals up!" you called as he walked down the stairs.<br>"Nice bloke" you said to yourself as you turned back to the picture of Sir Ivan. "Poppy seed" you said and portrait hole swung open allowing you access inside.

You slowly staggered up the stairs toward your dorm room, feeling more tired than you could ever remember. You were relieved to see the dorm was deserted; everyone else was probably celebrating the victory somewhere or fawning over Freddie and Roger in the Hospital Wing.  
>You flopped down on to your bed and slowly rested your head on your pillow when you heard a tapping noise coming from your window. You interestedly poked your head out from your bed curtains to see an indistinguishable figure hovering outside of your window. Your curiosity got the better of you and you limped over and opened it up letting the cool October air sweep right through your pajamas.<br>"Hey Anna, can I come in?" a voice whispered from the left side of the window and you looked to see Draco there floating on his broomstick.  
>"What are you doing here?" you asked in surprise.<br>"I wanted to see you Anna..." he whispered flying closer to the window, you stepped aside and allowed him to enter.


	10. Chapter 10

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>Draco flew gracefully into the room and touched down onto the floor. He dismounted and laid his Nimbus 2001 gently on top of your trunk before turning to face you.<p>

"So you wanted to see me, huh?" you asked walking slowly over to him.  
>"Well I knew you wouldn't be able to come to the tower tonight with all the shit that Flint put you through today and I didn't think I could go a whole night without seeing you" he said the last part in a whisper.<br>"_Aww_- aren't you just a sweetheart" you laughed giving him a gentle hug. "How did you know which window to go to?" you asked curiously.  
>"Oh well... I remember you dumping a bucket of water on Pansy's head last year from this window, so I figured it would be the right one" he answered and you laughed out loud at the memory.<br>"Look I want to thank you for buying me the broom Draco, you really didn't have to" you said seriously, "I feel like I owe you something".  
>"You don't owe me anything Anna, like I said you deserve a broom as amazing as you" he replied making your cheeks blush pink.<br>"I really love it" you responded, "no one has ever bought me something so nice before" you whispered. He smiled obviously happy that you had liked his present so much. "I like your little alias too, my heart's seeker huh?" you laughed.  
>"Well I thought it was clever" he replied with a little smirk.<br>"Very clever indeed" you agreed, "anyways I still feel like I need to give you something in return, anything you've been wanting?" you asked.  
>"You really want to know?" he asked.<br>"Spill" you answered.  
>"The only thing I really want that I can think of right now..." he paused, "is too kiss you" he finished.<p>

Your heart skipped a beat as he said this; you hadn't seen it coming at all. You had never in your sixteen years on earth really _kissed_a boy. You knew Draco must have kissed at least half the girls in Slytherin, which intimidated you. What if you were a terrible kisser? But you couldn't deny how much you wanted to kiss him in that moment as you stared across the dark room into his pale blue eyes that almost seemed to glitter in the moonlight. Before you even knew what you were doing, your legs were bringing you closer and closer toward him until your faces were just inches apart.

He wrapped his arms tenderly around your waist pulling your body close to his. In turn you put your arms around his neck and leaned in a little so your noses were nearly touching. His warm breath hitting your skin sent pleasant shiver up your spine and as he moved in closer your heart began to beat out of your chest. Then finally his lips met yours in what was your very first kiss; and you couldn't have imagined a more perfect one. His kiss was nothing like you had expected it to be. It was sweet and gentle, yet passionate at the same time almost like he was putting all his emotion and everything he was feeling into the kiss. His left hand rested on your hip while the other cupped your cheek softly.

Reluctantly you both pulled away, but you did not let each other go. You stood there in the center of the room in the other's arms just staring into each other's eyes and although it was silent, you felt like you were both telling each other everything.  
>"That was my first kiss" you whispered finally breaking out the trance his eyes had put you in.<br>"Really? I never would have guessed" he replied.  
>"Honestly? So I wasn't terrible at it?" you chuckled lightly, still staring into his eyes.<br>"It was the most amazing kiss I've ever had" he said for an answer making you blush a deep shade of red that luckily couldn't be noticed in the darkness.  
>Then suddenly you both jumped as you heard footsteps swiftly approaching the dorm room door and the sounds of girls giggling.<p>

"You'd better go" you whispered slightly panicked as the footsteps drew ever closer.

Draco nodded and grabbed his broom hastily from the trunk and mounted. In a swift movement he planted a final, parting kiss on your lips and just like that he flew off out the window into the darkness of the night leaving you in a sort of trance. You watched him disappear and wished so badly he could have stayed with you and kissed you just one last time.

The door of the dorm room swung open, but you didn't even notice. You were still standing in the exact same spot where Draco had left you staring dreamily out the window.  
>"Do you reckon she has finally lost it?" Padma laughed as she waved her hand in front of your face, finally snapping you out of your daze.<br>"Watch it Patil!" you snapped batting her hand out of your face and catching her by surprise.  
>"Sorry just trying to wake you up, thought you might have fallen asleep standing up" she sneered.<br>"_Riiight_" you said raising an eyebrow at her before making your way over to your bed.  
>"You missed quite the party tonight Darcy. After Roger and everyone got out of the Hospital Wing we all celebrated in the Common Room! Roger even gave Padma a kiss on the cheek!" Stacey Rowland squealed.<br>"Wow a kiss on the cheek, eh? No offence mate, but Roger kisses everyone on the cheek. Hell I think I've seen him kiss Freddie!" you laughed.  
>Padma glared daggers at you before flicking her hair and lying down on her bed. "You're just jealous Darcy that's all! I bet you've never even kissed a boy" she said smugly.<br>'_Oh yes I have_' you thought silently, but you didn't reply, you were in too good of a mood to let Padma get to you. You slowly drifted off into a peaceful sleep, replaying Draco's kiss over and over in your mind.

"Good morning Luna!" you said happily as you skipped across the Common Room to sit next to her on the couch facing the fireplace.  
>"Well I see you're all healed up then" Luna laughed, a little surprised that you were in such a cheerful mood.<br>"Well mostly, still got some cuts and bruises here and there, but overall Madame Pomfrey's potions work wonders!" you replied plopping down beside her.  
>"I watched the match yesterday, bloody brutal!" Luna exclaimed, "I've never been so amused in my life" she added making you laugh.<br>"Brutal doesn't even begin to describe it!" you said showing her the bruise on your stomach. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw it. "Anyways enough about my battle scars, I'm more interested in your love life Miss Lovegood" you said cheerily.  
>"My love life? Whatever do you want to know about my love life?" Luna asked innocently.<br>"Hmm I don't know, there is the little fact you're going with Potter to the Halloween Ball!" you exclaimed.  
>"You're going with Harry Potter to the Halloween Ball?" Cho asked Luna rudely as she walked by overhearing your conversation.<br>"Yeah he asked her a few days ago, right Luna?" you responded quickly.  
>"Yeah" Luna answered shortly.<br>"I can't believe he would want to go with you, he's obviously lowered his standards since I ditched him" Cho said snottily.  
>"No, I believe it's quite the contrary Cho" you hissed defensively, no one was going to talk to your friend like that.<br>"Oh yes, because some loony with stringy blonde hair, bug eyes, a whack job father, and a mother who blew herself up is so much better than me" Cho replied sarcastically. Anger pulsed through your body as she said this; she had just pulled Luna's parents into the mix. How dare she bring up Luna's mother like that!  
>Luna's eyes had turned into slits as Cho said this, but you could see hurt shining in them. You stood up from where you were standing in got right in Cho's face, which was quite a task seeing as she was 5'7 and you were 4'11.<br>"Don't you ever talk like that to her or any of my friends again" you said in dangerous whisper.  
>"I'll say whatever I bloody want Darcy and there is nothing you and your little psychotic friend can do about it" Cho spat aggressively.<br>With this you lost all self-control and before you even realized what you were doing your fist had made contact with Cho's jaw and she was knocked flat on her ass.  
>"You- you punched me!" Cho muttered out as she clutched her jaw in pain.<br>"You deserved it Chang! And I suggest you heed my warning or you'll be having another lovely meeting with my fist, understand?" you hissed.  
>She didn't answer, but instead just stood up and scurried quickly away through the portrait hole.<br>"You didn't have to do that..." Luna sighed, "she's going to get you in trouble with Flitwick".  
>"No I had to do it, it's been a long time coming" you answered, "and don't worry about Flitwick, I don't think she'll be admitting I punched her to anyone anytime soon".<br>"Thanks for sticking up for me, I- I really appreciate it" Luna said quietly, her brown eyes still looking very depressed.  
>"She had no right to bring up your mother like that" you whispered pulling her into a hug.<br>She hugged back and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "Anna?" she whispered.  
>"Yeah Luna?" you replied.<br>"Is what Cho said true? I mean why would Harry want to date me? He could do better..." she mumbled out.  
>"Better than you Luna? I don't think so" you replied with a smile, "Harry really likes you and I know it, because he told me alright?" you said.<br>She smiled at you and nodded weakly, "I have to get to class, I'll see you later?"  
>"Count on it!" you said giving her one last hug before she walked through the portrait hole.<p>

After a few minutes or so you snatched up your book bag and headed down to the Great Hall for a quick breakfast before you had to go to Ancient Runes.  
>"Hey Potter, Carrot Top!" you greeted as you took a seat across from Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table.<br>"Why do you always have to call me bloody Carrot Top?" Ron asked.  
>"I don't <em>always<em> call you Carrot Top! Some days it's Fireball or Mr. Tomato Head!" you laughed and he rolled his eyes at you.  
>"Great job in the match yesterday, Anna! I wanted to see you in the Hospital Wing, but Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let anyone inside" Harry said.<br>"Yeah it was packed in there! Basically the entire Slytherin and Ravenclaw team" you laughed, "I can't wait to see Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, now that is going to be brutal!" you exclaimed referring to the intense rivalry between the two houses.  
>"Yeah I'm really not looking forward to it" Harry said nervously.<br>"We don't have Fred and George as our beaters anymore. I mean Dean and Seamus are decent, but when it comes game time I don't really trust them from keeping a bludger from knocking me off my broom" Harry continued.  
>"I'm sure you'll be alright; Dean and Seamus are pretty decent players. Plus you're the best seeker in the school" you added encouragingly.<br>Harry smiled broadly as you said this and you noticed him reach back and purposely mess up his hair a little.  
>"So Fireball, have you asked Herms to the Halloween Ball?" you asked inquisitively.<br>"What? Uh- I- well I d-don't know" he garbled out turning as red as his hair.  
>"In translation that means he hasn't gotten up the guts to ask her yet" Harry explained.<br>"Oh just suck it up Tomato, she'll say yes. She's got a little crush on you my man" you laughed.  
>This only succeeded in making Ron turn an even deeper shade of red and look down at his pancakes muttering something incomprehensible.<br>"What about you Anna, have you got a date to the ball yet?" Harry asked.  
>"Nope, guess not!" you replied. You hadn't really thought about the whole date thing yet, you had been so busy worrying about everyone else's dates.<br>"Well only one more week left!" Ron said.  
>"No way? Only a week! I don't even have a bloody costume!" you exclaimed.<br>"Don't worry there is a Hogsmeade trip this weekend, just buy one then. That's what I'm doing" Harry replied calming you down a great deal.  
>"Well that solves that issue, but as far as the date thing goes I don't know mate! I may just have to ask one of the poor third years to go with me" you joked.<br>"I'm sure you won't have to resort to that" Harry laughed, "I know plenty of guys who would give their right arm to go with you" he added.  
>You cocked your eyebrow at him in disbelief, but he seemed to be serious. You just shrugged slightly before standing up with a piece of toast in hand. "I've got to jet, Ancient Runes starts in ten minutes!" you said before bounding out of the Great Hall while nibbling on your toast.<p>

"Anna..." someone whispered and suddenly you felt someone grasp your arm tightly and pull you into one of Mr. Filch's small supply closets.  
>"Woah, what do you think you're doing?" you exclaimed not knowing who had grabbed you.<br>"It's me Draco" Draco laughed before muttering a spell causing his wand to illuminate the dark closet.  
>"Oh you scared the crap out of me!" you laughed relieved it was him. "So what did you pull me in here for?" you asked. He smirked at you and suddenly realized why, "ah- you just wanted to snog before class, eh?" you laughed.<br>He shrugged, "can you blame me?" he laughed gently pushing you up against one of the walls. Your heart began to beat faster as he kissed you even more passionately than he had the night before. You willingly kissed him back running your fingers through his smooth blonde hair. You felt his tongue brush up against your lips looking for admission and you willingly obliged. Goosebumps broke out on your skin as you felt his hands tracing every curve of your body and you gasped as his hand ran up your thigh.  
>"You're going to make me late for class" you said to the top of his head as he began to kiss your neck.<br>"Oh come on, who needs class?" he asked looking deeply into your eyes.  
>"I need class" you said sadly, "I get in enough trouble, if I don't have good grades to make up for it they won't have a reason not to expel me" you replied.<br>He sighed desolately and nodded, "alright, alright! But I wanted to talk to you about something".  
>"The Halloween Ball, should we- should we go with different dates?" he asked.<br>"I guess that would be for the best" you said in a depressed tone clutching his hand in yours.  
>Draco looked saddened by your answer, but you knew he was expecting it. "That means I have to go with damn Pansy Parkinson" he whined.<br>"Oh you'll live" you laughed, "we can have some fun in the tower afterwards" you said with a wink.  
>He smiled widely as you said this, "sounds like a plan!" he exclaimed.<br>"Well I've got to get to class Mr. Malfoy, I'm already twenty minutes late!" you said. "I'll see you later" you whispered giving him one last teasing kiss on the lips before strutting off out the closet and toward Ancient Runes.

"Where have you been Miss Darcy?" Professor Florence asked annoyed as you walked into class.  
>"I'm sorry Professor Florence, I got lost" you lied with an innocent smile.<br>"You're in your sixth year Miss Darcy, you should be able to find your way around the school by now" he answered irritably.  
>"Well my sense of direction has been a little off since Flint knocked me in the head yesterday" you replied shooting Flint a nasty look.<br>Professor Florence just sighed, "Five points from Ravenclaw, take your seat Miss Darcy".  
>"Gladly!" you replied cheerfully sinking down into an open seat and to your surprise you saw a smiling Blaise in the seat beside you. "You're in this class?" you whispered in surprise as Professor Florence began to talk...<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"Yeah, looks like I am" he laughed quietly in response to your question.<br>"I can't believe I never noticed, probably because I start to space out as soon as that man starts blabbering away" you said referring to Professor Florence.  
>"Yeah, he's <em>almost<em> as bad as Professors Binns" Blaise said.  
>"Almost being the key word there mate, at least I can keep myself awake in this class. Last time in Binns' class I woke up to find my desk covered in drool" you chuckled.<br>"Miss Darcy I have already had to deduct points from Ravenclaw, if you don't want me to deduct more I would suggest you stop harassing Mr. Zabini!" Professor Florence snapped finally noticing your chatting.  
>"Harassing is a strong word Professor isn't it? Was I <em>harassing<em> you Blaise?" you asked pretending to be hurt.  
>Blaise laughed a little before answering; "No of course not" he managed to say.<br>"See I told you Professor!" you exclaimed.  
>"Miss Darcy I told you to SHUT UP!" Professor Florence yelled making you jump a little. He was a skinny, little man who was balding with a funny mustache; he rarely ever got angry.<br>"Sure thing Professor!" you replied with a wink after regaining your composure. "He must have PMS this week" you muttered to Blaise as he turned back to the board.  
>This made Blaise snort loudly in laughter, "That's it! Both of you out of my classroom, now!" Professor Florence shouted turning beat red.<br>"Oh, but sir I was getting so into the lesson" you whined.  
>He put his hands on his hips and looked at your skeptically, "I won't make you leave if either of you could tell me what I was talking about" he said to you and Blaise.<br>"Erm- Ancient Runes?" you answered lamely turning to Blaise for help, who just shrugged. He sighed in frustration and just pointed toward the door with a stern look on his face. You picked up your books and walked out the door giving the Professor an apologetic smile with Blaise close at your heels.

"Well at least he didn't give us detention, eh?" Blaise said as you exited the room.  
>"Yeah, I've already got one of those tonight with Snape!" you exclaimed.<br>"Oh that sucks" Blaise laughed.  
>"Thank you Captain Obvious!" you retorted sarcastically in a little bit of a sour mood after being kicked out of class.<br>"So anyways what do you want to do? We've got some free time before our next class starts" Blaise asked, he didn't seem to phased about getting kicked out.  
>"I don't know... want to sneak down into the kitchens? I'm starved, I can't run on just toast for breakfast" you said rubbing your grumbling tummy.<br>"You know how to get into the kitchens?" Blaise responded excitedly.  
>"Of course I do mate! I know every secret room and passageway in this entire school" you boasted. "Here I'll show you" you said linking your arm in his and pulling him down one of the side hallways.<br>"So are you excited about the Hogsmeade trip on Saturday?" Blaise asked nonchalantly as the two of you walked down the hallway.  
>"Yeah! I love Hogsmeade, Mr. Zonko and I are tight!" you laughed. "Plus I've got to get a costume for that damn dance on Sunday" you said a little bitterly. You weren't really looking forward to the ball, because you knew you wouldn't be able to go with Draco. He would be going with Pansy and it looked like you might end up going alone.<br>"Not so excited about the dance?" Blaise asked clearly noticing the bitter tone in your voice.  
>"Not really, I don't have a stupid date!" you complained.<br>"_You_ don't have a date?" Blaise asked looking extremely surprised by what you said.  
>"Yeah mate, don't rub it in!" you exclaimed.<br>"No- I mean- I just thought that you would already have a date" he replied quickly.  
>"What is that supposed to mean?" you inquired not really understanding what he meant.<br>"I mean you're really- erm- you're really pretty. I just thought someone would have asked you by now" he answered turning bright red.  
>"Aw thanks mate! You think I'm pretty" you laughed batting your eyelashes jokingly. "Well I've done a pretty good job avoiding Wood lately so he hasn't really gotten the chance to ask me and after I left Roger in Hogsmeade he isn't too keen on going to any dance with me" you explained.<br>"Yeah, but doesn't that guy Freddie have a thing for you?" Blaise asked.  
>You snorted as he said this, "Frederick? HELL NO! We are just mates, him and me. He is going to the ball with Lynne Carroll, that blonde Hufflepuff girl" you replied.<br>"Oh I see" Blaise said nodding; "well you know I don't have a date either" he started nervously.  
>"And-" you said encouraging him to keep talking, knowing what he was going to say.<br>"Well if you wanted to I'd really like it if you would be my date" he mumbled out very quickly making you smile and blush considerably.  
>"I'd love to Mr. Zabini!" you accepted giving him a swift kiss on the cheek. He smiled broadly at you as you pulled him around a corner and in front of a large portrait of a basket filled with an assortment of fruits.<p>

"How do we get in?" Blaise asked curiously.  
>"Watch and learn!" you said walking up to the portrait. You reached up an tickled the pear in the portrait making it giggle and with that the portrait swung open revealing the passageway into the kitchen. "Welcome to the dark side my friend" you laughed pulling him inside.<br>"Wow, so this is the kitchen" Blaise said looking around the large room filled with pots, pans, and many house elves scurrying every which way.  
>"Hello Miss Darcy and Miss Darcy's friend!" your favorite house elf Dobby greeted as you walked inside.<br>"Hello Dobby!" you exclaimed happily.  
>"It is good to see you Miss Darcy, how is Mr. Harry Potter doing?" Dobby asked. Dobby had always been extremely fond of Harry since he had gotten him freed from a life of servitude under Lucius Malfoy.<br>"He's great Dobby!" you replied.  
>"Good, good! I am glad to hear it!" Dobby squealed. "Can I get you anything Miss and the Miss' friend?" he added looking up at Blaise.<br>"I would love some apple pie" you answered; you had been having cravings for it for a while now. "How about you Blaise?" you asked turning to him.  
>"Apple pie sounds fantastic!" Blaise answered back with a bright smile.<br>"I will be right back Miss!" Dobby said before scurrying away to find some apple pie.  
>"He's a nice little guy" Blaise laughed as he disappeared behind a corner. You looked at him in surprise, not many Slytherins could stand house elves. You knew even Draco had a problem with treating them fairly.<br>"You're nice to house elves too? What kind of Slytherin are you?" you joked.  
>Blaise laughed lightly and rolled his eyes, "not the most popular" he replied. "I'm just not an evil person I guess, my parents weren't even purebloods" he continued.<br>"Really? Then how did you end up in Slytherin?" you asked curiously.  
>"I desire revenge above all else, at least that's what the hat said" he answered with a shrug.<br>"Revenge, huh? Revenge on who exactly?" you asked raising your eyebrows.  
>"My brother" he muttered, "I don't really want to get into it, but let's just say he is the reason why my parents aren't alive anymore" Blaise finished with anger shining in his stormy gray eyes.<br>"Oh I'm sorry" you said quietly, feeling bad about bringing the subject up.  
>"Oh don't worry about it" Blaise said with a weak smile and rubbing your back gently, "it was a long time ago". You nodded and then spotted Dobby coming back.<br>"Here is your pie Miss! Dobby even brought you some ice cream to go with it!" Dobby exclaimed, looking very proud of himself as he handed you the tray.  
>"Thank you Dobby! I'll see you later, alright? I'll make sure to tell Harry to come pay a visit" you added.<br>"Thank you Miss!" he squealed before trotting away. "Such a nice Miss" he said to himself making you smile.  
>You and Blaise headed out of the kitchen and sat down in the hallway. "Let's eat!" you declared handing Blaise one of the plates with a piece of apple pie and a scoop of ice cream on top and you took the other.<br>The two of you sat there in the hall eating your pie a la mode and just joking around with each other and having a blast for about a half hour until you heard the school bell ring.  
>"Aw- we have to go back to class!" you whined giving Blaise a pouty look.<br>"I don't want to mummy..." Blaise said flashing a pair of puppy dog eyes.  
>"But we've got to" you moaned, "I've already got a detention tonight". Blaise nodded sadly and stood up before reaching to help you up. You both walked down the hallway and then went your separate ways, him to Herbology and you to Transfiguration.<p>

You strolled into Transfiguration with one of your favorite teachers, Professor McGonagall. Although she was a tad strict and had given you numerous detentions over the years, she had always liked you for your tenacity and spunk as she put it.  
>"Hello Professor!" you greeted merrily as you took a seat at an empty table.<br>"Hello Miss Darcy, I see you're on time to my class at least" she laughed looking at her hourglass.  
>"Ah I see you have had a chat with Professor Florence!" you exclaimed.<br>"Yes, I bumped into him in the hall muttering angrily about late students" she said looking at you sternly over her spectacles she wore on the tip of her nose. "I also heard you proceeded in talking in the middle of his lecture" she added.  
>"Like I said I'm a bit woozy since the match yesterday, I can't be held responsible for my actions!" you proclaimed as the rest of the class began to file in, most of them giving you weird looks.<br>Professor McGonagall shook her head at you, but you thought you could detect a small smile breaking out on her lips.  
>"You got more points deducted from Ravenclaw I heard" Hermione said as she sat down in the vacant seat on your right side.<br>"Hello to you too Herms!" you replied.  
>"Why are you always getting yourself in trouble?" she asked seriously.<br>"Because she is _the_ Anna Darcy of course!" Harry said as he took the spot next to you.  
>"See Harry gets it!" you said ruffling his already messy black hair. "Anyways I'm not always getting myself into trouble!" you said defensively.<br>"Just more often than not!" she hissed at you looked rather peeved.  
>"What has got you in such an unpleasant mood?" you asked her a little annoyed.<br>"Oh nothing, she just saw Ron chatting with Susan Bones" Harry laughed, "she is in nearly all his classes Hermione they are going to have to talk to each other" Harry added.  
>Hermione glared maliciously at Harry before burying herself in her Transfiguration textbook.<br>"Jealousy can be a bitch my dear" you said patting her lightly on the shoulder.  
>"I AM NOT JEALOUS!" she snapped rather loudly causing a few of the students to jump in surprise.<br>"Miss Granger I am surprised at you!" Professor McGonagall scolded, "detention tonight!"  
>Hermione's eyes widened in complete shock as McGonagall said this, she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She just turned and glared daggers at you and Harry like it was your fault she had gotten detention.<p>

"I- I have _never_ gotten detention before in my entire life!" Hermione yelled angrily as you the three of you walked out of the Transfiguration classroom.  
>"Relax Granger, it's not the end of the world" you said putting your arm around her, "I've gotten plenty of detentions and I'm alright!" you laughed.<br>She looked at you in horror, "Oh god I'm going to turn into you!" she cried making you and Harry burst out into laughter. "Shut up you two!" she spat, obviously not amused or comforted.  
>"Just chill out, I'll be there with you. I've got detention tonight too remember" you said.<br>"Oh fabulous! You are probably going to get me into even more trouble!" she exclaimed.  
>"Hey I didn't ask you to scream in the middle of McGonagall's class!" you said in self-defense.<br>"Anna has a point there Hermione" Harry said backing you up and earning an unappreciative glare for Hermione.  
>"Oh hush Potter, no one asked you!" she snapped before stalking away to the Great Hall.<br>"She's bloody insane" you chuckled to Harry. "Anyways what do you want to do for lunch?" you asked.  
>"I don't know I'm not really hungry" Harry answered with a shrug.<br>"Good neither am I! I went to the kitchens with Blaise earlier-" you began to say, but you cut yourself off at the look on Harry's face.  
>"You went to the kitchens with whom?" Harry asked raising an eyebrow at you.<br>"Erm- Blaise Zabini" you mumbled out.  
>"That Slytherin?" Harry asked looking a little upset about it.<br>"Yes _that_ Slytherin!" you replied a little irritably. "He is a nice guy, what has he ever done to you?"  
>"Nothing I guess..." Harry said thoughtfully, "Well I guess if you are going to sneak off with a Slytherin he would be the best choice" he finished.<br>You shrugged, "well he is my date to the Halloween Ball too" you said quickly.  
>"He is?" Harry asked in shock.<br>"I am" you replied shortly. "Do you have a problem with that?" you asked sweetly.  
>Harry gulped and you knew he was trying to hold back on yelling 'YES!' at you. You smirked slightly as he forced a smile and responded "No of course not".<br>"Good" you said cheerily, "Now let's go plant some stink bombs in Filch's office before the bell rings!" Harry laughed as you took his hand and led him swiftly down the hall pulling some stink bombs that were conveniently located in the front pocket of your book bag.


	12. Chapter 12

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>You walked down the hall with Hermione by your side in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. "Did you see Filch's face? HAH! I don't think I've ever seen him so angry!" you giggled.<br>"Yeah, well that is probably, because of you his office now smells like rotten eggs and Mrs. Norris is neon green!" Hermione snapped not amused by your little prank.  
>"Oh lighten up already! That's one of my best pranks yet and you know what the greatest thing about it is?" you inquired.<br>"No, what?" Hermione hissed back.  
>"That I didn't get caught for it!" you replied with a bright smile. "Absolutely brilliant!"<br>"Oh get over yourself, you know you should put that criminal mind of yours to better uses" Hermione said.  
>"What better use could there be then harassing Filch?" you questioned. She rolled her eyes becoming more and more annoyed with you right before you opened up the dungeon door to Professor Snape's classroom where all the detentions were being held for that night.<br>"Glad to see you finally showed up Miss Darcy" Snape sneered as you walked in.  
>"What? I'm not even late!" you exclaimed looking at the hourglass, "I'm actually a minute early! That's like a record, it must be, because you're my favorite professor" you said with a wink as you took your seat.<br>He glared at you evidently not amused by your sarcastic humor. You smiled at him and then looked around to see who else had landed themselves in detention that night. You saw three fourth years from Slytherin, Dean Thomas from Gryffindor, and a first year girl from Hufflepuff who looked almost as scared about being there as Hermione. Then suddenly you heard the door swing open and you looked over to see Draco walking in.

"You are late Mr. Malfoy, please do not let it happen again" Snape said plainly.  
>"Of course not Professor" he replied courteously before walking over and taking the seat unoccupied seat next to you. Hermione stared at him awkwardly as he did. "I thought I would land myself in detention, like I said I can't go an entire night without seeing you" he whispered sweetly into your ear so only you were able to hear him.<br>You smiled at him, blushing a little at his words. "Alright now that you are all here I will be assigning you your tasks. Miss Granger, Mr. Gibbons, and Mr. Carlson you will all be reporting to Professor Hagrid for your punishment, so off you go!" Snape ordered. Hermione stood up giving you an anxious look before following two of the Slytherin fourth years out of the room. "Mr. Thomas, Miss Lilac, and Mr. Reynolds you will all be reporting to Professor Sprout for detention out in the Herbology classroom" and with that the rest of the class except for you and Draco disappeared. "You two will be working for me tonight" Snape said with a cruel smile to you and Draco.  
>'<em>Oh bugger<em>' you thought as he said this. No detention you ever had to serve with Professor Snape had ever been easy. "You will be grading these potions for me. Mr. Malfoy you will record the grades in this book" he said throwing Draco a large book, "and you Miss Darcy will be the guinea pig. Drink each potion in turn... if it makes you invisible it gets a check, but if it makes you throw up-" Snape said now smiling from ear to ear "it gets a zero" he finished. "Here you might need this" he added placing a bucket down in front of you.  
>You opened your mouth to protest, but for some reason no words came out which seemed to make him even more pleased. "I'll be back when it's time for you two to go" he said before sweeping out of the classroom.<p>

"I hate him" you hissed under your breath still glaring at the closed door.  
>"Yeah he can be a real ass" Draco said, "Look let's just make up some grades and dump the potions alright?" he suggested picking up the flasks and beginning to dump them into the bucket. To your surprise they just fizzed and disappeared completely. Snape had probably left you both alone, because he didn't think Malfoy would let you get out trying the Potions, his mistake.<br>"Good idea" you agreed, "I'm really not in the mood to be throwing up all night".  
>"And I'm not in the mood to watch you throw up all night" Draco laughed as you began to mark random checks and zeros in the big book Snape had given Draco; you made sure to give poor Neville Longbottom a check.<br>"So what do you want to do now that we have all this time on our hands?" Draco asked casually.  
>"How about we talk?" you suggested smiling inwardly at the deflated expression that appeared on his face, you knew he hadn't exactly planned on <em>talking<em> to you while you two were all alone in the Potions classroom.  
>He sighed but smiled, "what do you want to talk about my dear?" he asked.<br>"Well I should probably tell you that I have a date for the Halloween Ball" you mumbled out quickly, not looking him in the eyes. You weren't exactly sure why you felt guilty about telling him about Blaise seeing that he had a date as well and technically he wasn't even your boyfriend, but all the same you did feel as if you were confessing to doing something wrong.  
>"Oh really" Draco replied quietly, a glint of jealousy in his icy blue eyes. "Who is the lucky man?" he asked trying his best to force out a smile, or at least a smirk.<br>"Blaise Zabini" you said shortly.  
>"WHAT?" Draco yelled shooting up from his chair and looking very angry. You jumped back and giving him a baffled look, why was he getting so upset about Blaise Zabini? It wasn't like you were going with Harry or Ron; you were actually going with a Slytherin.<br>"What's the big deal? He asked me, I needed a date, I said yes" you said.  
>"To bloody Blaise Zabini? How do you even know him? Why would you want to go with that stupid mudblood lov-" Draco began, but cut himself short at the livid expression on your face. Did he just say what you think he did? Mudblood lover? You thought he was past that, you thought he was different, but no he was still the same old prejudice, stuck up Draco Malfoy. "I didn't mean that Anna" he blurted out quickly.<br>"Yes you did Draco" you hissed dangerously. "My best friend is a muggle born you know!" you yelled becoming angrier with every passing second. You stood up from your chair and strode over to the door.  
>"No, please Anna stop!" he called after you grabbing your wrist firmly, yet gently and pulling you around to face him. "Please don't be upset with me, I did not mean it, okay? You can go with Blaise if you really want to" he said kindly stroking your hair.<br>"I thought you were different Draco, I can't believe you could say something so prejudice" you said seriously, you weren't about to let him off the hook that easily.  
>Draco sighed and let go of your wrist. "Look I said I was sorry, alright?" he said annoyed.<br>"Don't take that tone with me Draco Malfoy, I'm not the one who did something wrong here" you retorted.  
>"Who the hell do you think you are Anna? My goddamn mother!" Draco yelled back.<br>"No, thank Merlin for that" you answered cruelly.  
>"Don't you dare go insulting my mother!" Draco spat at you; his eyes now like two slits. "You don't even bloody know my mother!"<br>"I know she married your asshole of a father!" you yelled.  
>"LEAVE MY BLOODY FAMILY OUT OF THIS!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, making you jump a little, but you quickly regained your composure.<br>"Why? It seems like they have had more of an influence on you then you like to lead on" you hissed.  
>"Who do you think you are Anna? You're no saint! Look who your bloody parents are!" he responded.<br>"They are not my parents" you said firmly.  
>"Yes they are Anna, whether or not you want to admit it. You are Anna Bellatrix Lestrange... you <em>are<em> a Death Eater's daughter; their blood runs through your veins. That little criminal mind of yours may only be good for stupid school pranks at the moment, but who knows what the future holds huh Anna?" Draco said in a dangerous whisper. You didn't answer, but glared back at him intently. Anger pulsed through your body at his words, you were not about to blink. It was like you two were locked in a staring contest to the death.  
>"I'm leaving, I don't give a shit what Snape thinks" you finally said breaking your eye contact and storming off toward the door once again.<br>"Fine, just get the hell out of here blood traitor!" he yelled after you. You halted in mid-step and spun around to face Draco again with a look on your face so enraged that Draco actually stumbled back a few steps in fear.  
>"What did you just say to me?" you asked in a calm voice making you seem all the more threatening.<br>"I- I- I said fine, just get the h-hell out of- of here b-blood traitor" he tried to repeat firmly, but it came out instead as a bunch of jumbled stutters.  
>You walked swiftly over to him, the bottom of your robe sweeping behind you. With one quick movement that happened to fast for Draco to even react the palm of your hand slapped across his right cheek ferociously. "I thought you had changed Draco, I really did. I can't believe I actually thought…! You never did really care about me did you? You just wanted to corrupt an innocent girl and get a piece of ass, huh? What else should I have expected from a <em>Malfoy<em>?" you hissed.  
>He reached up and clutched his cheek as he looked at you. To your surprise there was no anger in his eyes though, actually instead you saw sorrow.<p>

"What in the world are you two doing?" Professor Snape snapped walking into the room and staring at you and Draco with a puzzled expression.  
>"Nothing Professor, Draco tried some bad potion that's all" you lied trying to sound innocent.<br>He raised a suspicious eyebrow at the two of you, but he looked too tired to press the matter any further for the time being. "You two may go" he said coldly before snatching up his large grade book and sweeping into his office.  
>"Well we're free to go" you mumbled looking back into Draco's eyes.<br>"Yeah I guess we are" he whispered before walking around you and out the door. You stood there stiffly, watching the hem of his robe disappear around the corner.

It was the night of the Hogwarts Halloween Ball. You stood in front of the full-length mirror looking yourself up and down. You and Blaise had decided to go as pirates. You put some of your hair in beaded braids and let the rest fall loosely before tying a red banana around your forehead. You had a tight white color shirt on, a pair of tight brown pants that you tucked into your dark brown boots, a dark brown, patched overcoat and a fake sword hanging from your belt. You had to admit you did look rather cute as a pirate, but it didn't improve your mood any.  
>You had been a miserable mood for the entire week now, ever since yours and Draco's fight that evening in Snape's detention. The whole memory played over and over again in your head every night, every time making you feel worse. You didn't want to admit it, but you missed Draco. You missed sitting with him in the tower just talking every night, you missed the way his icy blue eyes shone in the moonlight, and his smile. Oh that smile. The smile that only you could get him to expose. Merlin, did he have a beautiful smile!<br>But was that smile just a lie? Was that smile just a ploy to get you to trust him? '_Stop thinking about it Anna, it's over_' you told yourself firmly.

"Are you ready Anna?" Luna asked popping her head into your dorm and snapping you out of your thoughts.  
>"Oh yeah, all done!" you declared walking through the door, "how do I look?" you asked striking a pose for Luna.<br>"You look marvelous matey!" she laughed in a pirate voice. "How about me?" she asked.  
>You smiled and looked at her as she struck her own little pose out in the hallway. Luna had decided to dress up as a phoenix for Halloween. She was wearing a long sleeved, knee length red dress adorned with golden embroidery that looked like feathers. Golden and red feathers were hanging from the sleeves and she had put her long blonde hair into two braids. In truth you thought she looked absolutely stunning.<br>"I think Harry is a lucky man!" you replied making her smile from ear to ear.  
>"Oh I hope so!" she said nervously linking arms with you and pulling you down the stairs. You had told Blaise and Luna had told Harry to meet at the statue of Oswald the Odd.<br>Luna literally sprinted down the hall in excitement, dragging you behind her. "Slow down sparky!" you begged as you began to get a stitch in your side.  
>"Oh hush we're here" Luna said finally slowing down. She adjusted her dress and then strode forward slowly toward the statue where the boys were waiting. You laughed inwardly at your friend and followed her.<br>You were thrilled at the sight before you as you turned the corner. There was Harry and Blaise actually talking, you were amazed when you ever heard Harry laugh out loud. You were so happy Harry had learned to finally accept a Slytherin.  
>"Hey there boys!" you greeted cheerfully, they both turned and smiled widely. Harry's jaw dropped when he saw Luna come out from behind you.<br>"Wow... Luna you look- you look beautiful" Harry managed to get out through his shock.  
>You smiled as Luna blushed a bright shade of pink, "th-thanks Harry. You look good too, you're costume is great!" she replied sweetly commenting on Harry's Dracula costume.<br>You turned and gave Blaise a hug, "you look great my fellow pirate!" you exclaimed.  
>He laughed and gave you a kiss on the cheek. "You look amazing Anna, I swear only you could make such an attractive pirate" he laughed.<br>"You know it mate" you joked winking seductively at him, "now let's dance".

As you walked into the Great Hall one Blaise's arm you gaped at the astonishing job the teachers had done decorating the place. Tables were set up in every corner of the room, each with a jack-o-lantern centerpiece. Candles floated around the room giving it a romantic glow, candy and other sweets could be found on two long tables, and orange and black decoration decked nearly every inch of the hall.  
>Luna and Harry almost immediately disappeared on to the dance floor that was covered with tons of dancing students. You saw Hermione and Ron dancing awkwardly in one of the corners, Cho was talking away to Roger who was looking rather bored, and Padma was hanging on Michael Corner. Then you spotted another couple that made your hands quiver angrily, there was Draco and Pansy dancing in the middle of the floor closely, too close for your comfort.<br>'_But that's over now_' you told yourself, '_it was just a stupid fling, you saw the real Draco for yourself_'. That was what you had finally decided; that Draco was just a stupid one-month fling. He was probably just using you to get some action.  
>But in the back of your mind and in the deepest, darkest shadows of your heart you knew this wasn't true. You knew the way he looked at you during those nights in the tower were more than just looks of a stupid fling, there was love in those ice blue eyes. And the way he held you in his arms, like he never wanted to let you go. And the words he said, the words he could never admit to anyone else.<br>'_Those words were just lies_' you thought angrily, '_all lies_'. You shook your head to snap yourself back into reality, you couldn't go on thinking about Draco. It was over now and for your own sanity you needed to let go.

"You want to dance?" Blaise whispered sweetly in your ear and you turned to see an amiable grin on his face.  
>"I'd love to" you replied happily taking his hand and pulling him out on to the dance floor, as far away from Pansy and Draco as possible.<br>You danced the night away with Blaise; you two were having a blast for yourselves dancing like madmen around the floor. People stopped to watch the two of you with amused expressions on their faces. You two had practically become the party entertainment, but you didn't care. You were having so much fun in fact that you hadn't even stopped for a break the entire time, which after an hour really hit you.  
>"I- need- liquid-" you panted to Blaise leaning against him for support, so you didn't fall over from fatigue. He just nodded, too out of breath to speak, and led you slowly over to one of the round tables.<br>"I'll be right back with some butterbeers" he said before ambling over to the bar.  
>"Having fun Anna?" Hermione asked energetically sitting in one of the seats across from you. Her cheeks were bright pink from dancing.<br>"A bloody blast!" you answered honestly as Ron took the seat beside Hermione.  
>"You and Blaise are hilarious! Everyone is talking about you both, you've become quite the school couple" he laughed winking at you.<br>"School couple?" you asked, "Naw we are just friends!" you exclaimed, surprised that people thought you and Blaise were actually a couple.  
>"Well that's going to cheer up a lot of guys" Hermione giggled, "You should have seen their faces drop when you walked in with Blaise".<br>You rolled your eyes at her; you never were able to figure out what people saw in you. Never in your life had you really ever considered yourself beautiful, or even pretty for that matter. But the way people talked about you, there had to be something there you just couldn't see.  
>"Here is your drink my pirate wench" Blaise laughed setting a butterbeer in front of you.<p>

"Thank you!" you exclaimed joyously, grabbing up the butterbeer and taking a long refreshing swig.  
>"Calm down there Darcy" someone laughed behind you as you felt a hand rest upon your shoulder and you turned to see Roger behind you.<p>

"The girl can't hold her butterbeer, I remember at the Quidditch party she only had two and she was more than a little tipsy" Roger laughed.  
>"Oh shush, there's only like one percent actual alcohol in these things!" you retorted.<br>"Yeah, imagine what would happen if we gave you a firewhisky!" Roger chuckled. You just mock glared and pushed your butterbeer away from you, you knew what Roger was saying was true. You never were very good with alcohol.  
>"Alright Zabini, I think I'm about ready to dance some more!" you said hyperactively.<br>"Oh Merlin, you're going to kill me Darcy" Blaise chuckled weakly; you could tell he was worn-out. You gave him a sad, pouty look and he sighed.

"Alright you win! How can anyone resist that face?" he said pinching your cheek jokingly before pulling you back out on to the dance floor. Just as you got out there thought the upbeat song that was playing ended and a slower one took its place.  
>Blaise smiled charmingly at you and wrapped his arms tightly around your waist, you followed suit and wrapped your arms around his neck before resting your head on his chest comfortably. You had hardly been dancing a minute though when you were interrupted.<p>

"Oh look Pansy, how _revolting_" a voice scoffed from behind you and Blaise. You turned to see Draco standing there with Pansy hanging on his arm sniggering with laughter. Draco looked different then you remembered him, his eyes were so cold just like they were when you first met him.  
>"Do you have a problem Malfoy?" you hissed coolly. '<em>Oh my god, did I just call him Malfoy?<em>' you thought. You hadn't called him Malfoy in over a month; he had become Draco to you. But it looked like everything was slowly slipping back to normal and you didn't like it.  
>"Yeah you and Zabini are making the other guests sick Darcy" Draco spat cruelly. Blaise's stormy gray eyes narrowed into slits as he said this, you had never seen so much resentment in his eyes and you couldn't blame him for hating Draco at the moment. Now that you thought about it, Draco had probably been making his life miserable for years.<br>"No I believe it's your ugly mug that's turning them off mate." you snapped back.  
>"Yeah sod off!" Blaise burst in and you looked at him surprised. Blaise was a very quiet person, who you had never heard yell.<br>"Oh look, aren't they cute Pansy? A half blood and a blood traitor, two Mudblood lovers in paradise!" Draco exclaimed evilly, prompting Pansy to burst into annoying shrieks of laughter, which made you sick.  
>"I thought you were different Draco, but it turns out the saying is true; like father, like son. I suppose the apple never falls from the tree" you hissed so only he could hear you.<p>

"Let's go Blaise, we don't need to take this" you said grabbing his hand and storming out the Hall. You could sense Draco's eyes watching you as you stormed off. Little did you know though that his heart was breaking as you left. He had chased away the one person he ever truly loved, but there was no taking it back now.

"Thanks for tonight, I really did have a wonderful time until that arse showed up" you said to Blaise outside the Great Hall in front of the staircase.  
>"I had a great time too; don't let that jerk get you down though. He's not worth it" Blaise said kindheartedly, as he held your hand in his.<br>"Yeah, I know that now" you replied bitterly. "Goodnight Blaise and thanks again" you said giving him a warm hug and a goodnight kiss on the cheek.  
>"Goodnight Anna! Sweet dreams" he called from behind as you strode up the stairs. But you knew sweet dreams were out of the question tonight. You were so fuming you couldn't even describe it.<p>

You hadn't let anyone see the real you willingly, you hadn't even kissed a boy until Draco. You had fallen hard for him and you had fallen fast. You wondered what went wrong. You wondered why he changed like that on you so quickly and gone back to the old Malfoy, the one you had always loathed.  
>His words were running through your head and making your stomach burn like poison. You felt hot tears stinging your eyes and rolling down your cheeks. You couldn't believe you actually thought he had changed. He made a fool out of you and played you like a violin, all he wanted was to make out with a pretty girl in a broom closet. Your heart beat with anger as you swept up the stairs, but you didn't go to the Ravenclaw Common Room instead you made your way to the tower...<p>

You walked up the narrow winding staircase that led to the top of the astronomy tower. You weren't exactly sure what prompted you to do this, but you remembered a sense of comfort you got standing in the tower alone with the stars. Everything was so quiet and so peaceful, and that's what you needed right now. Peace and quiet.  
>You stepped out into the round tower room and let the cool October breeze sweep over your body and blow your beautiful blonde hair in front of your tear stained face. You didn't bother to look around the tower, who else would be there anyways at the time of night? You sobbed out loud as you stared up into the twinkling stars. Little did you know that you were not alone in the tower...<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"Anna, is that you?" a voice asked quietly from behind you. Your body froze at the sound of the voice behind you. <em>'Who else could be here this late at night?<em>' you thought frantically, not being able to place the voice to a face. You slowly turned trying to wipe your tears on your robes sleeve; you looked to see Oliver Wood standing there in the moonlight of the night. His chocolate brown eyes were sparkling as he drew closer to you looking concerned

"W-what are you d-doing here Oliver?" you stuttered out.

"Why are you crying Anna?" he asked ignoring your question.

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours" you responded.

"I don't know, I just came up here to think I guess. I didn't go to the ball, so I thought I'd just hang up here" he answered in a somewhat depressed tone.

"You didn't go to the ball? Why not?" you asked curiously, it certainly couldn't be, because he couldn't find a date. He was the most popular boy in the school.

"I just-" Oliver started, but he cut himself short and looked down awkwardly at his shoes.

"Come on, you can trust me Wood" you said patting him on the shoulder.

He smiled at you, but it wasn't his normal arrogant, cocky smile. It was a genuine smile.

"Okay... I guess I just couldn't find a date" he said lamely making you snort in laughter. You knew that was a lie.

"Alright, alright I guess I could find a date" he laughed, "just not the one I wanted".  
>"Well I didn't really get the one I wanted either" you sighed. "So what girl was so special that no one else would do?"<br>"You really want to know?" he asked and you nodded in reply. "Well, you Anna" he answered.  
>Your jaw dropped as Oliver said this, you knew he had always had a little crush on you, but you had no idea he cared that much about you.<p>

"W-what?" was all you could manage to say.  
>"I wanted to go with you Anna, I don't know what it is, but you make me happy. I just couldn't bring myself to go with anyone else, but I knew you would never agree to go with me. And then I found out you were going with that Zabini kid, I don't know... I just couldn't take seeing you dancing with him and holding him" he muttered out quickly, his cheeks turning red.<br>"Wow Oliver, do… do you mean that?" you asked amazed at the beautiful things he just said.  
>"Every word" he whispered in response not daring to look you in the eye.<br>You leaned over and cupped his chin in your hand; you moved his head so his eyes were staring straight into yours.

"You know what, I really like this Oliver. The one who doesn't act all cocky and conceited all the time" you chuckled lightly.  
>He laughed weakly as you let go of his chin and turned back to the stars.<p>

"So why were you crying?" he asked coming up to stand beside you.  
>"I was played for a fool" you answered, "someone pretended to be my friend and it turns out they never really were" you said sullenly.<br>"I'm sorry Anna" he whispered putting his arm around your shoulder and pushing the subject no further.  
>"You know what, I really do like this Oliver" you said thoughtfully turning so your faces were just mere inches apart. You were so close together that you could feel his quick, warm breath hitting your lips. In that moment you felt like you needed him, you wanted to kiss him so bad. You knew he genuinely cared about you and that's all you wanted, someone who really loved you for you. You thought you had found that in Draco, but he made it obvious tonight you hadn't. You weren't sure if you really loved Oliver, but he loved you and that was something you needed at that point in time.<br>"I've dreamed about kissing you since I was fifteen" he laughed nervously.  
>"Well I would love to make your dream come true" you replied gently staring into his amazing chocolate brown eyes. And in that moment his lips brushed up against yours in a warm, tender kiss. The entire world seemed to stop and it was just you and him together in the tower underneath the stars.<br>And you couldn't see the pair of ice blue eyes staring at you from the darkness or the single silver tear falling from them.

From that moment on you and Oliver were practically joined at the hip. You were the Hogwarts _it_ couple. You wore the amazing golden, sapphire heart diamond ring he bought you on Christmas always. You two had seemingly fallen in love during your time together at Hogwarts and everyone could see it. At first the other girls hated you for taking away the most wanted guy in Hogwarts, but they soon got over it when they saw how happy he was when he was around you.  
>Roger had finally given up on chasing you and settled for the lovely Katie Bell, a girl finally as obsessed with Quidditch as he was. It was a year for falling love it seemed as Luna and Harry got together, as well as Ron and Hermione at long last.<br>You had pushed Draco out of your mind while dating Oliver. You had finally convinced yourself that he was just a stupid fling, a mere mistake.  
>Draco had pretty much avoided you for the rest of the year. He wasn't cruel, he didn't tease, and he didn't do anything, nothing at all... But sometimes you could still feel him staring at you from across the Slytherin table and you often found yourself wondering why.<br>You became closer to another Slytherin however. You and Blaise Zabini were like brother and sister by the end of the year and could nearly finish each other sentences. For the first time in his life he had actual friends as you introduced him to Hermione, Harry, Luna, and Ron...

"Hermione! HERMIONE!" you yelled seeing your friend's frizzy brown hair in the crowd. She stopped and spun her around; her face lit up as she saw you.  
>"ANNA!" she called before pushing her way through the throng of students trying to get on the Hogwarts Express.<br>"Wow, Hermione I didn't know you could be so forceful!" you giggled as she practically knocked over a couple of second years to reach you. She just shrugged a little before pulling you into a tight hug.  
>"I missed you Anna! I didn't get to see you all bloody summer!" she whined.<br>"Sorry Herms, you know I wanted to" you sighed.  
>"That's quite alright, I forgive you! Anyways how was your summer with Oliver?" Hermione asked with an excited smirk on her face.<br>"I'll tell you on the train" you answered despondently, "quickly before Harry, Blaise and Ron get here".

She nodded and the two of you pushed your way on to the train and into an empty compartment at the back of the train.  
>"So..." Hermione egged on.<br>"Alright, but don't go telling everyone okay?" you said seriously before you spilled your secret.  
>"Cross my heart!" she exclaimed placing her hand on her heart dramatically.<br>"Well..." you began before recounting what had happened on your last day at the Wood Manor.

_You and Oliver were sitting on the porch swing silently in each other's arms. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen" Oliver whispered suddenly in your ear.  
>"Why thank you Mr. Wood, you're pretty good looking yourself" you laughed in reply.<br>He smiled that charming smile of his, "but it's not just your face... it's you Anna. You have the most beautiful soul in the world" he continued. You blushed red and mumbled something inaudible making him chuckle. "Don't say anything just yet, I have something to ask you" he said standing up and then kneeling in front of you. He slipped the sapphire diamond ring he had given you off your right hand ring finger and held it in his hands. "Anna Louise Darcy... will you marry me?" he whispered.  
>Your heart stopped and your mind was racing with a million different thoughts. You were only seventeen years old; you couldn't possibly be ready for marriage, could you?<em>

"Oh my god! What did you say?" Hermione squealed as you paused in the story.  
>"I- I said no" you replied abruptly catching Hermione completely off guard; she obviously had expected that the story end with you saying yes and sharing a romantic, passionate kiss. But that's not how the memory ended. You had said no, you weren't even totally sure why. You loved Oliver, didn't you? And it wasn't like he was asking you to marry him that very day, he offered to wait until you were out of school and had a job, but you still told him no. And that was it; that was the end of Anna and Oliver.<br>"Why did you say no?" she asked regaining her composure.  
>"I didn't like the sound of Anna Wood" you replied sarcastically shrugging your shoulders.<br>"Come on, Anna! This is not something to joke about, why did you say no?" she repeated sternly.  
>"Because Hermione he doesn't even know me! How can I have a future with someone who doesn't even know my past?" you answered irritably.<br>"Well why didn't you just tell him about your parents?" she asked.  
>"Because he wouldn't understand! He would look at me like a Death Eater and completely forget the real Anna Darcy, all he would see was Anna Lestrange!" you yelled in response.<br>Hermione jumped a little at your outburst, "So- so what happened after you said no?" Hermione asked softly.  
>"We broke up" you answered with a sad sigh, "I left him" you explained further.<br>"You left him? Why didn't you just give him a chance? I bet he would have accepted your past just as I did! I thought you loved him!" Hermione exclaimed.  
>"I thought I did too" you whispered more to yourself now than Hermione. This had all just happened yesterday, the decision you made was still fresh in your mind. You couldn't help but doubt your choice. But in your heart you knew you didn't really love Oliver, when you looked down into his chocolate brown eyes that day all you could see was...<p>

Suddenly the door swung open and your eyes were met with a pair of icy blues eyes. The eyes you had come to love and hate over the past year, the eyes you saw when you looked down at Oliver that day.  
>'<em>It was just a stupid little fling, it never meant anything, remember? You forgot about him long ago and he forgot about you'<em> but you knew in your heart what you were thinking in reality was not the truth.  
>"Anna..." Draco began softly, before he was interrupted...<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"Anna..." he began softly before he was interrupted.<br>"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE MALFOY IF YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU!" you heard some yell angrily from outside the compartment.

Within seconds you saw Harry and Ron appear with their wands pointed threatening at Draco's neck, anger in their eyes.  
>Draco looked terrified as he backed up against the wall helplessly. Was there actual fear in those blue eyes? You looked at him closer and to your horror saw how pale he looked, much paler than usual and he had an array of scratches and dark bruises strewn across his face.<br>"Stop it!" you yelled standing up without even thinking; it was just a natural reaction. "Come on guys we're not even at school yet" you pleaded.  
>"He doesn't deserve to attend school! He deserves to be in Azkaban just like his bloody father!" Ron yelled heatedly glaring at Draco.<br>"What are you talking about Ron?" you asked confused, _Draco's father was in Azkaban_?  
>"His father tried to kill my father over the summer! He came in my bloody house and used the Cruciatus curse on my little sister! Luckily Kingsley showed up in time to arrest his arse and throw him into Azkaban prison where he can rot!" Ron yelled in response.<br>"I- I didn't ask him to…" Draco stuttered out looking extremely nervous.  
>"Put your wands down" you said firmly putting your hand gently on Ron's arm. Ron glared at you at first, but you gave him a soft pleading look that finally made him release.<br>"I'll finish this later Malfoy" Ron spat before pushing him roughly across the aisle. Draco stood up and brushed himself off, for a split second anger blazed in his eyes, but he took a deep breath before turning around and striding away without another word.

Ron who was still bright red from anger took a deep breath as well before sitting down next to Hermione and kissed her on the cheek. You and Harry sat down across from them before you spoke again, "What exactly happened Ron?" you asked curiously; you hadn't heard anything about Draco's father.  
>"Lucius Malfoy snuck into our house one night over the summer; Ginny woke up and went to see what it was. He tortured her with the Cruciatus curse then nearly killed my father when he tried to save her! The Avada Kedavra curse just missed him..." Ron said shuddering a little. "The Aurors showed up though and threw him into Azkaban!" Ron said proudly.<br>"I'm so sorry Ron, thank Merlin everyone is okay" you said, "you can't really take that kind of thing out on Draco though..." you said softly.  
>"Why not? It was his bloody father who did it!" Harry yelled crossly.<br>"You can't blame people for their parents Harry..." you began and his mouth opened to retort, but Hermione stopped him before he was able to.  
>"Anna is right Harry, let's just let it go" she said quickly. Hermione knew what a touchy subject parents were for you and had luckily saved you from an argument.<br>"Yeah guys, let's just let it go for now" Ron sighed, "it's our last year at Hogwarts! And I'm not about to let stupid Draco Malfoy ruin it" Ron exclaimed.  
>"Here, here!" Hermione laughed.<br>"So anyways Anna, how was your summer with Oliver?" Harry broke in curiously.  
>"Guys I'm sure Anna doesn't want to talk about it-" Hermione began, but you cut her off.<br>"We broke up" you said honestly, "it just wasn't working anymore" you finished.  
>Harry and Ron both stared at you, their jaws open and their eyes wide with utter disbelief. "You broke up with Oliver? The keeper of Puddlemere United!" Ron exclaimed.<br>"Yup, looks like I did" you replied with a shrug.  
>"You're bloody insane, bloody insane..." Harry said shaking his head at you. "You know any other girl would have killed to be with Oliver Wood" he laughed.<br>"Well not me" you said shortly.  
>"There is something different about you" Harry said thoughtfully looking you up and down.<br>You raised your eyebrow at him, "and that would be?" you inquired.  
>"You just don't seem like Anna anymore. I mean you dress like Anna, look like Anna, but you're not acting like Anna" Harry answered.<br>"How so?" you asked confused.  
>"I don't know. You just don't seem like your crazy self anymore. You're acting kind of boring and depressed… like normal people." Harry said.<br>"Well Potter, I just broke up with my boyfriend of ten months, because he asked me to bloody marry him!" you snapped in annoyance. The truth was that you hadn't been yourself for nearly a month, you couldn't stop thinking about Draco no matter what you did and now after you saw him on the train matters had only become worse.

"What's with all the yelling?" a voice asked from outside the compartment door and you looked up to see Blaise standing there. Your heart leapt with happiness to finally see him.  
>"ZABINI!" you called out jumping up from your seat and literally jumping on top of him making him tumble over on to the ground.<br>"Now there is the old Anna" you heard Harry whisper to Ron, making him chuckle.  
>"I've missed you too Darcy!" Blaise laughed as you both stood up and hugged warmly. "It's been too long my friend" he said giving you a friendly kiss on the cheek.<br>"Much too long! How was your summer?" you asked.  
>"Sucked, go figure. The orphanage isn't exactly the most fun place to be" he replied. You patted his shoulder sympathetically; you knew how much Blaise hated having to go back to the muggle orphanage every summer.<br>"Well you never have to go back there again" you said with a bright smile.  
>"Thank Merlin!" he laughed, "so how was your summer Mrs. Wood?" Blaise said jokingly. You heart stopped for a moment as he said '<em>Mrs. Wood<em>' and you looked down at your shoelaces uneasily. "What did I say something wrong?" he asked with concern.  
>"No, no it's just- me and Oliver broke up that's all. I don't really want to talk about it" you said quickly. You weren't in the mood to argue with Blaise like you had just done with Harry. "Let's just enjoy the train ride".<br>But it wasn't an exactly enjoyable train ride. Most of the trip was spent in a weird, awkward silence only broken when Luna came to take Harry away. You buried yourself in a book about Potions for most of the trip, Blaise fell asleep after a while, and Hermione and Ron whispered between themselves so no one else could hear what they were saying, but you thought you had an idea of what the top of conversation was...

"Miss Darcy you must come with me this instant, Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak with you" Professor McGonagall said sternly as soon as you stepped out of the carriage you had been sharing with Blaise.  
>"Uh- sure Professor" you replied awkwardly following after her, nearly running to keep up with her long, swift strides. She stopped again suddenly in front of another carriage and waited for the passengers to get off. The carriage door swung open and to your surprise Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle walked out.<br>"Mr. Malfoy I must ask that you come with me straight away, Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak to you" she said much like she had said it you just a few moments ago.  
>"Um- okay Professor" Draco replied looking confused; he looked even more puzzled when he saw you.<br>You both followed Professor McGonagall as speedily as you could without running to keep up with her. You had a stitch in your side by the time you finally reached the Stone Gargoyle that led into Dumbledore's office. "Cockroach Clusters" McGonagall said shortly and the Gargoyle split open revealing a secret staircase. "Follow me" she muttered before ascending up the stairs with you and Draco in tow. "Please wait here until the headmaster returns; he is making the beginning of the year feast at the present time. He will be with you in a moment" McGonagall explained before turning around and leaving you and Draco alone in Dumbledore's office.

"Any idea what this is all about?" Draco asked when McGonagall left.  
>"No bloody clue, all I know is that I'm starving and they're keeping me away from my feast" you whined plopping down in one of the headmaster's plush armchairs.<br>"Yeah, I'm hungry too" he replied before sitting down in the chair beside yours. "I see you're still Mrs. Oliver Wood then, huh?" Draco said resentfully referring to the sapphire diamond ring on your finger.

'_"I'm sorry Oliver, I just can't marry you" you replied to his question after a long moment of silence.  
>"Why not Anna? Don't you love me?" he asked looking extremely hurt.<br>You didn't respond right away, but instead looked away from his brown eyes and out into the blue sky. Blue, blue like Draco's eyes... _

_"I'm so sorry Oliver" was all you could manage to say as a tear rolled down your cheek.  
>"So… you don't love me" Oliver sighed, his eyes glistening slightly with tears threatening to break free.<br>"I think it is best that we break up Oliver, you deserve someone who can love you more than I can…" you said softly. You had been trying to say that you him all summer, now on your last day there it had finally come out.  
>Oliver didn't say anything at first, but just nodded. Tears began to pour down his face and he knelt in front of you once more. <em>

_"Keep this, in case you ever change your mind… I will be waiting." he whispered slipping the ring back on to your finger before walking away forever..._'

"Oh uh- no actually we broke up" you muttered slipping the ring off your finger and putting it into your robe pocket. You looked up to see Draco staring at you strangely with an expression that you couldn't read.  
>"You two broke up?" he asked.<br>"Yes, you heard right" you replied looking away from him.  
>"Oh well I'm sorry" Draco mumbled out and you heard him stand up from the chair and begin to pace.<br>"Are you sorry Draco? I thought you enjoyed me suffering?" you said coldly.  
>"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked turning to look you straight in the eyes. Those ice blue eyes of his bore straight into your soul and for a moment took your breath away.<br>"It means you weren't exactly pleasant to me last time we talked were you?" you answered.  
>"Well you weren't exactly pleasant to me either" he replied angrily.<br>"I didn't go around calling you and your date revolting, did I? I don't recall calling you a blood traitor or some filthy word like that either" you hissed. He opened his mouth to retort, but no sound came out. Instead he looked down to the ground with what looked like an expression of shame on his face.  
>'<em>Good, he should feel bad<em>' you thought unmercifully to yourself, but in your heart it pained you to see him look like that. It took all your will power to say seated in your chair and not run into his arms to comfort him.

Just then the door of the office opened and Professor Dumbledore walked in with two plates of steaming food in his hands.

"I thought you two would he hungry" he explained setting the food down on his desks in front of your chairs. Draco resumed his seat next to you as Dumbledore sat at his desk. "Go on, go on eat! I know you two are famished" he laughed with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

You and Draco looked a little hesitant, but you finally gave in and began to stuff the food into your mouths gratefully. Dumbledore just waited at his desk patiently while the two of you ate your dinner.

"So what is going on Professor?" you asked curiously when you finished your dinner.  
>"Well Miss Darcy, Mr. Malfoy this is matter unfortunately concerns your parents..." Dumbledore began.<p> 


	15. Chapter 15

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"Which parents?" you asked curiously, wondering if you meant your foster parents or your <em>real<em> parents.  
>"You real parents Miss Darcy, I am sorry to say" Dumbledore replied looking a little stressed. Your heart sunk and you could feel yourself shaking slightly as he said this, what could he have to tell you about them that was so important you had to miss the feast?<p>

"I can ask Mr. Malfoy to leave, if you don't want to talk about it" Dumbledore said. He didn't know that you had told Draco the secret about your parents.  
>"No that's fine, Draco already knows who my parents are" you answered quietly and Dumbledore nodded almost as if he had expected you to answer that way.<br>"What is it professor?" Draco asked impatiently; looking rather nervous himself.  
>Dumbledore sighed and took off his spectacles before beginning to speak.<p>

"This is tomorrow's edition of the Daily Prophet" he said handing a newspaper over to you and Draco. You gasped as you saw the front page. The pictures sent unpleasant chills down your spine and your body froze when you read the horrible headline above them.

_**Death Eaters Escape From Azkaban**__  
><em>_**Bellatrix Lestrange, Rudolphus Lestrange, and Lucius Malfoy**_

Below the bold letter words was a picture of your mother Bellatrix scowling at the camera. Her eyes were a dark, emotionless brown, her hair was straggly and black, and her face was pale, almost lifeless. Beside her was picture of your father, Rudolphus Lestrange. He looked just like you with wavy dirty blonde hair and honey brown eyes. But his face had been drained of all its color, his eyes were glazed over, and he wore an angry expression on his face. Under your parents was a Lucius Malfoy's glowering mug shot. He looked very much like Draco with long, platinum blonde hair, ghostly pale skin, and ice blue eyes. But there was something different about him, that made him somewhat creepy looking unlike Draco.  
>"T-they escaped?" you finally managed to blurt out breaking the silence of the room.<br>"More along the lines of let loose I'm afraid. It was only a matter of time before Voldemort got them out with the dementors now on their side" Dumbledore sighed; you felt Draco flinch as Dumbledore said the Dark Lord's name. The name had never really bothered you for some reason though; it was only a name.  
>"What does this mean? What do we do?" Draco asked his voice cracking a little.<br>"You both are in grave danger... Miss Darcy your parents will most certainly be out to find you. It has been reported they called your name out in their sleep and I do not doubt that they would harm you if you did not agree to join up with them as a Death Eater" Dumbledore said sadly. "Draco you, as you probably already know, are in the same danger if not more" Dumbledore added looking at Draco.  
>"Why are you in danger? Your father wouldn't hurt you" you said a little confused.<br>Draco laughed dimly, "The man wants to kill me Anna! I'm sure he wouldn't mind _hurting_ me while he was at it" he said with a note of sarcasm.  
>"Why does he want to kill you?" you asked.<br>"Because… I'm the one who tipped the Aurors off about him ambushing the Weasleys…" he answered weakly. "And he knows it was me, because I'm the only one he told about it other than his Death Eater friends".  
>You looked at Draco in complete shock as he said this, "<em>You<em> saved the Weasleys?" you asked.  
>"Yes he did and we are very grateful for it" Dumbledore answered for him. "I am sorry to say there will be some extra precautions placed on you two this year. I hate to do this to you both, but I have no choice. You will not be permitted to go on Hogsmeade trips or to wander around in the halls or outside after dark if not accompanied by a teacher or other trusted adult. Do you understand?" Dumbledore asked sternly, looking very serious about what he was saying.<br>Your heart sunk as Dumbledore told you this, you were afraid something like this would happen. You would no longer be able to go to Hogsmeade with the rest of the school, no more Mr. Zonko, no more Quidditch Supply Shop...  
>"Yes sir, I understand" you replied solemnly after a brief pause. Dumbledore nodded before looking at Draco awaiting his response.<br>"I understand sir" Draco said grudgingly, you could see the resentment in his eyes.  
>"Good, you two may go. Again I am very sorry about this. Neither of you deserves to have to go through this. I would also like to say that you need not be afraid, just careful. As long as you are at Hogwarts, I am sure you are safe" he finished giving you a feeble smile to try to lighten the mood.<br>"Thank you Professor" you said quietly before standing up from your armchair and walking toward the staircase. You could hear Draco following closely behind you...

"Well this sucks" Draco muttered in annoyance as you two stepped out into the candlelit hallway.  
>"It really does! And during our last year at Hogwarts..." you sighed, "Doesn't look like I'll be able to cause too much trouble this year" you chuckled weakly.<br>"Oh I think you will manage" Draco laughed in response as you began to make your way down the hallway. "So uh- how was your summer?" Draco asked awkwardly not making eye contact with you.  
>"It was erm- okay" you answered, "how about you?"<br>"Sucked." he answered shortly. "My dad was unhappy to say the least when he found out about me taking Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts this year, got his ass sent to Azkaban before he could do too much though" Draco sighed subconsciously rubbing one of the bruises on his right cheek.  
>"How did he manage to find out about your classes?" you asked.<br>"Well you know how Hogwarts sent our schedules in the mail this year, so we could double check them?" he asked and you nodded. When students entered their seventh years their schedules were sent to them prior in the mail, because it was important everyone's schedules were correct in seventh year since it was the year of NEWTS. "Well he opened it up before I did and saw what classes I was taking. He was a little less than delighted about Divination too" he muttered.  
>"I'm sorry Draco" you whispered sadly. "Hold still" you said stopping him the hallway. You gently stroked the bruised spot on his cheek with your hand, you noticed him blush red and flinch a little. "Relax it's okay" you whispered gently before muttering a spell under your breath. Immediately after the bruise on his cheek faded slowly until it was totally gone. Draco turned to look in one of the mirrors hanging on the wall and gasped in disbelief.<br>"How did you do that?" he asked dumbfounded.  
>"My foster mother is a healer at St. Mungo's, I used to help her out at work a lot, so I picked up a couple of the less complex spells" you explained to him.<br>"Well that is a useful little trick, thanks Anna" he said with a smile.  
>"Merlin I love that smile" you said. You clasped your hands over your mouth almost instantly after; you had not meant to say that out loud.<br>Draco laughed amused, "Well I'll see you later Anna" he said as you reached the place in the hallway where it split into two different hallways. One led towards the Slytherin Common Room and the other towards the Ravenclaw.  
>"Yeah see you later Draco, sweet dreams" you said and to your surprise he leaned over and kissed you on the cheek.<br>"Sweet dreams to you too Anna" he said quietly before disappearing down the hall. You took a deep breath and felt yourself turning red. You turned and walked slowly down the hall a smile still plastered on your face...

'_I really should not be this happy' you thought, somewhat amused, 'my bloody parents are out to murder me and I can't stop bloody smiling!_' you laughed to yourself. Ever since last night you had been smiling from ear to ear, even when you woke up the next morning and rolled out of bed in your usual fashion waking up every girl in the dorm.  
>"I really didn't miss waking up to that damn noise all summer!" Padma yelled annoyed from her bed.<br>"You should be thankful for me Patil, I'm like your own personal alarm clock!" you exclaimed cheerfully. Much too cheerfully for it being so early in the morning.  
>"Shut up Darcy, I am trying to sleep!" Jane whined throwing a pair of dirty socks at you.<br>"ATTACK OF THE DIRTY SOCKS!" you exclaimed diving out of the way. "Phew- that was a close one" you sighed.  
>"God you are so bloody annoying" Stacey muttered giving up on getting anymore sleep with you awake and getting up from her bed.<p>

You laughed quietly and walked over to your trunk. You changed into your button up white blouse, pleated black skirt, white, black-striped knee socks, dress shoes, silver and dark blue tie, and your robe with the Ravenclaw 'R' embroidered on the front. You giggled at yourself a little in the mirror; you looked like such a little schoolgirl which was very unlike you. You brushed your hair and decided to leave it down before finally heading down the stairs to breakfast.  
>You looked around the Common Room for Luna, but you couldn't find her. You figured she was already still asleep or she had gone down to breakfast, so you walked down by yourself. You entered the Great Hall to see Hermione waving for you to come over and sit down.<p>

"Hey Herms! Where are Harry and Carrot Top at?" you asked while spooning some porridge into your bowl.  
>"Harry and Luna are eating breakfast outside" Hermione answered with a smirk, "and Carrot Top" she laughed, "should be here in a second".<br>"Brilliant, so what class do you have first my friend?" you asked brightly.  
>"Erm- Advanced Arithmancy" she replied looking over her schedule. "You?"<br>"Advanced Potions" you said miserably, "I can't handle Snape this early in the morning".  
>"Aw- poor Anna" Hermione laughed patting you on the head sympathetically, "Don't worry you'll be okay, Harry is that class too".<br>"And me too my dear!" Blaise exclaimed coming to sit down beside you.  
>"Oh goody" you laughed, "you and Harry should be prepared for some first rate entertainment!"<br>"Yeah her and Snape get along just swimmingly" Hermione said sarcastically rolling her eyes at you. "She landed herself in detention at least what- like three zillion times last year?" Hermione said sharply.  
>"Close to that!" you agreed, "probably more like two zillion" you said thoughtfully. "I swear I spent more time with that man than anyone else! You'd think he would rather not have to deal with me, but no! <em>I will see you after class Miss Darcy<em>" you snapped imitating Snape making Blaise and Hermione both laugh, Blaise a little harder than Hermione.  
>"I think I am actually looking forward to Potions this year" Blaise said in between laughs.<p>

"Well that makes one of us" Harry moaned plopping down beside Blaise closely followed by Luna.  
>"Morning Loony!" you greeted Luna cheerily.<br>"Morning Nutter!" she greeted back with a smile.  
>Harry looked between you and Luna with an eyebrow raised.<p>

"What? We're just embracing the nicknames Padma gave us" you explained.  
>Harry just nodded smiling slightly, before turning back to Blaise, "so why in the hell are you looking forward to Potions?" Harry asked.<br>"Because we've got Anna in our class and I hear the two make a hilarious couple" Blaise answered.  
>"Yes bickering is how we express our true burning passion for one another" you said jokingly placing your hand over your heart for effect. Everyone at the table snorted with laughter except for Hermione who looked appalled by your words. "Come on relax Granger, I was just kidding" you said with a wink "or was I?" you added in a whisper to Blaise who broke out into uncontrollable laughter.<br>"What is so funny?" Hermione asked suspiciously narrowing her eyes at you.  
>"Oh nothing!" you lied. "Well we'd better be getting off kiddies, onward!" you declared grabbing Blaise's hand and pulling him toward the double doors. Harry gave Luna a quick kiss goodbye before following after you.<p>

You and Blaise were still giggling and making jokes about Snape, you were laughing so hard that you weren't paying attention to where you were going and accidentally bumped right into someone...


	16. Chapter 16

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"Ouch!" you exclaimed as you fell to floor painfully and landed right on your butt dropping all your books to the ground in the process.<br>"You alright Anna?" Blaise asked helping you up off the ground, "watch where you are going Malfoy" he snapped looking away from you. You looked to see Draco kneeling down and picking up his books in front of you.  
>"What happened here?" Harry asked suspiciously, his eyes flashing dangerously at the sight of Draco.<br>"Nothing, nothing! I was being my ordinary klutzy self and bumped into Draco here that's all" you answered not wanting this to turn into an all out battle.  
>"Yeah Potter I wasn't trying to kill her or anything" Draco sneered as he began to pick up your books for you.<br>"Don't bother Malfoy" Harry said coldly taking the books of his arms rudely, "Anna doesn't need help from the likes of you" he hissed.  
>"Harry, just relax" you pleaded putting your hand gently on his arm.<br>"Yeah listen to the girl Harry, you wouldn't want to do something you'd regret" Draco said with a twisted smirk.  
>You shot Draco a warning glare, why the hell was he provoking Harry like this? He knew you couldn't take it... maybe he really hadn't changed after all.<p>

"Look we have to get to class" you said pushing Harry in front of you down the hall with Blaise following closely.

"Oh Anna you forgot your quills" Draco called behind you waving your box of quills in his hand.  
>"I'll get them" Blaise said beginning to walk over to him, but you stopped him.<br>"Don't be stupid Blaise, I am capable of getting my own quills" you said walking over to Draco yourself.  
>"What was all that about?" you hissed so only he could hear what you were saying.<br>"I just enjoy provoking Scarhead I guess" he said with a smirk, "here's your quills my lady, there's a little surprise inside" he added handing you the box and winking secretly at you before turning into the Great Hall. You watched him disappear into the Great Hall and looked down at your quill box. You wondered what he had put in it, but you decided it was best to wait until later to check.  
>"Are you coming Anna?" Blaise called from behind you snapping you out of your trance.<br>"Uh- yeah! Sorry about that, I spaced out" you laughed walking over to them. They both laughed and shook their heads at you before making your way off to Potions.

"Professor Snape! It's been far too long my friend." you greeted cheerfully as you entered the dungeon classroom. Snape just scowled at you with dislike, not even bothering to respond to your salutation.  
>"I think he might be mad at you Anna" Blaise said in mock concern as the three of you sat down at an open table in the middle of the room.<br>"Oh no! He's probably still upset I forgot our anniversary!" you joked putting on a fake worried face.  
>Blaise chuckled and Harry rolled his eyes at you, "You really make me nervous sometimes" he laughed.<p>

"Class has begun" Snape said shortly and the entire class suddenly fell silent. You thought it was amazing how much power Snape had in a classroom; you wondered why students were so scared of him. He had never made you nervous in the slightest, he may be intimidating to look at, but inside you were still convinced he was as harmless as a puppy.  
>He took a deep breath before walking to the center of the classroom.<p>

"You are now all in your seventh year at Hogwarts, which means this is the year you will be taking your NEWT exams. You have all received decent enough grades, some of you out of luck he sneered glancing at you and Harry, "but luck will not help you on the exams. This will be a tough year and I will not being going easy on you... be prepared." he finished with a twisted smile, that showed how much he was enjoying the idea of torturing you all for eight months.  
>"Forget it, not even you could make me look forward to a year with Snape" Blaise muttered in your ear.<br>"Today you will be beginning an Invisibility Potion; this potion will take two days to complete. I expect you all to be at least half way done by the end of this class, if not you will be joining me later tonight to catch up" he said.  
>"Oh this is just brilliant! He picks the hardest bloody potion for the first day of school" Harry muttered angrily before pulling out his supplies.<br>"Ah don't worry mate, Invisibility Potions aren't that tough!" you said encouragingly.  
>"Maybe not for you, but for me and Harry they are. We're not all geniuses like you" Blaise retorted.<br>"True, true... but it's hard being a genius" you said flicking your hair back pompously.  
>"Not that you would know Miss Darcy" Snape sneered as he walked past you.<br>"Ah yes, because my nearly perfect grades are sheer luck apparently" you retorted referring to the comment Snape had made toward you and Harry during his speech.  
>"If the shoe fits Miss Darcy" Snape replied.<br>"If the shoe fits! I must say you're getting wittier every year Professor! I bet you worked on that one all summer" you chuckled while chopping up some dragon fang and dumping it into your cauldron.  
>"Yes, well how else am I going to keep up with you Miss Darcy" he answered before striding away.<br>A surprised expression appeared on your face as well as everyone else's. "What the hell? Did he just _not_ get pissed at me?" you asked Blaise and Harry in shock.  
>"Uh- I think so" Harry replied looking almost as confused as you did.<br>"Miss Darcy I'm afraid you let your dragon fang simmer too long, that calls for some serious loss of points" Snape said in a content voice passing you desk again.  
>"Wha- what? Oh no!" you exclaimed blowing the flame under your cauldron out. You had been so caught up in the surprise of Snape's remark you had completely forgotten about your dragon fang. It just dawned on you that he had done it all on purpose so he could break your focus.<br>"Looks like your luck is running out Miss Darcy" he sniggered looking very pleased.  
>You chuckled quietly to yourself unaffected, "Snape one, Anna zero... so a new year begins" you laughed.<p>

You stepped out into the hall after Potions talking candidly with Blaise and Harry. But your conversation was cut short as Ron strode up to the three of you and shoved a copy of the Daily Prophet in your face.  
>"It came after you three left" he said, "Lucius Malfoy bloody escaped!" he yelled furiously.<br>You looked nervously down at the paper were your parents were pictured. They looked so cruel and heartless; you trembled nervously at the very sight of them.

"That's terrible Ron" you managed to say.  
>"How could they have let him escape?" he yelled in complete disbelief.<br>"The bloody dementors joined _his_ side" Harry answered angrily. You could see the anger in his eyes as he looked down at the picture of your mother. She had killed his godfather Sirius Black at the end of their fifth year and he had sworn revenge on her. You wondered how he would react if he knew she was actually your mother...  
>"It will be fine guys, the Aurors will catch them" you said trying to lighten the mood a little.<br>"Yeah Anna is right" Blaise added, but Ron and Harry's faces did not look comforted.

"Four classes and not one detention!" you declared as you sat down in the seat next to Ron.  
>"Wow Anna, I'm proud of you!" Hermione said happily.<br>"I, on the other hand, am very disappointed in you Darcy" Ron said jokingly.  
>"Don't you worry, Fireball, there are still two more classes to go and one of them is Herbology! You know how much Sprout loves to give me detentions" you said cheerily earning a disapproving look from Hermione.<br>"I thought you were finally growing up Anna" she said in a serious tone.  
>"Hah! Anna? Grow up? NEVER!" Blaise exclaimed.<br>"Yup, I am holding on to my childhood as long as possible" you proclaimed.  
>"That's the spirit!" Luna said taking the seat next to Harry and kissing him on the cheek. "I have got some news guys! The first Hogsmeade trip is this Saturday. It's only for the seventh and sixth years though, because of the escaped prisoners" Luna said cautiously, she didn't want to upset Harry and Ron again. Everyone looked excited as she said this, but your face fell.<br>"What's wrong Anna? I'm sure Zonko misses you" Blaise laughed putting his hand on your shoulder.  
>"Too bad I won't get to see him" you mumbled miserably.<br>"Why not?" Ron asked.  
>"I can't go to Hogsmeade this year guys, my- my uh- parents wouldn't sign the permission from" you lied.<br>"That sucks Anna! I'm sorry" Blaise said putting his arm around you and giving you a side hug. "I can stay behind with you if you want".  
>"No!" you said a little too quickly. You had actually been looking forward to spending some alone time with Draco during the daytime, without prying eyes. "I mean no that's okay Blaise, but you could do me one favor".<br>"And what would that be?" he asked.  
>"Give Mr. Zonko a note for me, it has a list of some supplies that I'll be needing" you said, "just pick them up for me alright?" you asked.<br>"Of course" he answered with a smile, "I can only imagine the supplies you'll be needing" he laughed.  
>You winked at him, "I'm going to need some chocolate too" you added.<br>"I will pick you up some stuff at Honeydukes, I promise" Harry said with a grin.  
>"Thanks mate!" you said thankfully, your mood brightening up considerably. All the talk of Hogsmeade though had made your thoughts focus back on Draco. You felt yourself becoming consumed with curiosity of what he had put into your quill box, but as Hermione announced it was time for Herbology you figured it would just have to wait.<p>

"Hello Professor Sprout" Hermione greeted politely as you walked into the greenhouse.  
>"Good afternoon Miss Granger, lovely to see you again" Professor Sprout replied happily.<br>"Suck up" you muttered under your breath to Blaise making him laugh out loud. "Hello Professor!" you greeted her energetically as you followed behind Hermione.  
>"Miss Darcy" Professor Sprout replied shortly.<br>"She must still be mad about when I blew Greenhouse A up last year" you giggled.  
>"That just might be it" Blaise answered.<br>"Well it was an accident!" you exclaimed earning a disbelieving look from Blaise, "okay well it was partially an accident! I didn't know plants caught on fire _that_quickly."

"Hello class, I am Professor Sprout as you all know! We have an exciting year of Herbology ahead of us and as seventh years you will be allowed into our new Greenhouse A. I must ask that you all control your wands while in the new Greenhouse, in case you haven't realized plants _do_ catch on fire" she said glaring over at you.  
>"Yup, I called it" you chuckled.<br>After a long hour and a half of Herbology, that you spent mostly giggling with Blaise while pretending to observe a Bulgarian Snapping Plant, Professor Sprout finally dismissed the class for the day. You ran out of the greenhouse thankful that your last class was over and loosened up your tie.  
>"Well the first day of classes is over!" you declared waving your tie in the air over your head lasso style.<br>"Thank Merlin" Harry exclaimed, "anyways guys I have a question for you all".  
>"Yes dear?" you asked turning to face Harry so you were walking backwards toward the castle.<br>"Well I'm taking Luna to Hogsmeade obviously, but it is actually our first time going together" he said a little embarrassed, "the last date I had there didn't exactly go well".  
>"Ah yes the legendary Cho incident!" you exclaimed, '<em>Harry this is a brand new dress!<em>'" you imitated her in an annoying, high pitch, girly voice.  
>Everyone laughed even Harry as you did this. "But guys I really am nervous..." he muttered seriously.<br>"Don't worry Potter, you'll be fine! Luna is crazy about you, kid" you said encouragingly.  
>"I'm with Anna on this one Harry, Luna really does care about you" Hermione said.<br>"I know, I know... but guys I think I am going to tell her that I love her" Harry mumbled out.  
>"WHAT?" you, Blaise, and Hermione all yelled in unison. "You're going to what?" you asked.<br>"I love her, I love Luna!" he exclaimed, "and I'm going to tell her, I just don't want it to be like the Cho episode".  
>You were now smiling from ear to ear, "don't worry it won't be Harry" you said with confidence. "Believe me I know her best" you added.<br>"I'll see you guys at dinner, I have to go the bathroom" you said quickly to your friends before disappearing down the hallway toward the bathroom without waiting for a reply. You couldn't take it anymore, not even the idea of Harry declaring his love to Luna could distract you from the quill box that lay in your book bag just begging for you to open it.  
>You entered the deserted first floor bathroom that Moaning Myrtle inhabited and sat down against one of the walls. You opened up your bag and began rummaging around for your quill case.<p>

"What are you doing here?" a gloomy voice asked from above you and you looked up to see the ghost Moaning Myrtle floating at the top of her stall. She was a young girl with said eyes, thick-rimmed glasses, and pigtails.  
>"Oh hello there Myrtle! How are you doing this year?" you said in a friendly tone.<br>"Miserable as usual..." she sighed sounding just as depressed as she normally did. "I heard Harry has a new girlfriend" she whimpered sadly, she had always had a little crush on Harry.  
>"Uh yes- yes he has" you answered distractedly while still searching for your quill case.<br>"Whatever are you looking for Anna?" she asked curiously peering into your bag.  
>"This!" you declared pulling out your quill case. You placed it on your lap and slowly undid the clasp...<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

* * *

><p>On top of your quills was a small piece of parchment with your name written on the front. You pulled the parchment out and began to read...<p>

_Dearest Anna,  
><em>

_I have not been able to stop thinking about you at all since last night. I never realized how much I truly missed talking and just being near you. I guess I just tried to block you out when you started dating Oliver, but now that you are single again I am afraid I no longer can ignore how much I care for you. Please meet me in our usual spot under the stars tonight; I am counting the moments until I can be with you once again.  
><em>

_Always Yours,  
><em>

_Draco_

You blushed wildly and a silly grin made its way on to your face as you finished reading the letter. You could already feel the excitement building up in you for being alone with him in the tower that night. You longed to see his blue eyes shining in the dim moonlight and that sweet smile of his that he only showed you. You longed so badly to feel his soft lips brush up against yours; even after so long you could still remember just the way he tasted.

"Is that a note from your boyfriend?" Myrtle asked nosily, "You won't stop smiling".  
>"Oh um- no, just a friend" you said with a shrug.<br>"Oh I think he is your boyfriend… I never did have a boyfriend" she sighed sadly, "What is it like?"

You were just about to respond to her question when you noticed something else located in the quill case. It was gleaming beautifully even in the gloomy darkness of the empty bathroom. You slowly pulled the item out of the case and read the small note attached to it...

_Your finger was looking a little bare without Wood's ring; I thought you might like this. It was my old ring, but it is charmed to fit the wearer's finger, no matter what size..._

You blushed again as you twirled the spectacular silver ring in your fingers. You admired it for a few minutes; it had intricate designs that looked like serpent snakes intertwining around the surface. Each of the snakes had magnificent ruby diamond eyes that glittered brilliantly even in the dimness. You slowly slipped it on to your finger, where Oliver's ring had rested once upon a time. You held out your hand in front of your face to observe how the ring looked on your finger.

"He bought you a ring, oh how sweet" Myrtle said sarcastically, "Just because you are kind of pretty! But no, no one cares about poor Myrtle!" she whined as she floated away back into her stall.  
>"Yeah- yeah that's great Myrtle" you replied without really hearing what she was saying. You stood up still staring down at the ring and exited the bathroom subconsciously making your way toward the Great Hall, a smile fixed on to your face.<p>

"Took you long enough to go to the bathroom, have a little trouble?" Luna said jokingly as you sat down at the Gryffindor table beside Blaise. The group of you always sat at the Gryffindor table for meals now, since yours and Blaise's tables didn't really like you.  
>Harry rolled his eyes, "She still has a bloody crush on me?" he asked shaking his head.<br>"Sure does mate! It is a little creepy having a dead ghost girl be chasing after you isn't it?" you asked.  
>"Yeah- just a little" Harry said sarcastically.<p>

"What is that on your finger?" Hermione exclaimed as you reached out to grab a dinner roll, displaying your new ring to the table. She grabbed your hand and pulled it up to her face to examine the ring more closely, her eyes wide with wonder.  
>"Erm- a ring?" you responded for lack of something better to say.<br>"Where in bloody hell did you get that? It looks very expensive" Blaise said investigating it closely. "Are those serpents?" he asked pulling your hand away from Hermione and closer to his face curiously.  
>"Erm- yeah, I guess so" you answered nervously trying to pull your hand away from him, but with no avail.<br>"What are you doing with a snake ring? It is a tad Slytherin themed don't you think?" Harry inquired suspiciously.  
>"Oh hush Harry, I think it is gorgeous" Luna sighed and Hermione nodded in agreement. "Where did you get it Anna?" Luna asked inquisitively.<br>"It was my father's old ring" you lied quickly, "He gave it to me before school this year".  
>"Oh well it is absolutely fabulous" Luna exclaimed, but you noticed Hermione giving you a strange look. She knew how poor your foster parents were and how they could never ever afford something so amazing. You knew she was thinking your real father had sent it to you; it did look like one of the pureblood wizard family rings that they wore often.<br>You reached over to the basket again and this time managed to get your hand on a dinner roll which you ate greedily. As you ate your eyes seemed to travel over to the Slytherin table no matter how hard you willed them not to.

That night you stood up from your bed fully clothed in a pair of faded hip hugger jeans and a tight fit, long sleeved black shirt. You let your hair hand down loosely and you actually bothered to apply some light make-up, just enough to bring out your natural beauty. You slipped stealthily out of the dorm and through the Common Room, which was deserted except for a fifth year who had fallen asleep on top of her homework. You snuck down the hall with great ease, even in the dark you knew Hogwarts like the back of your hand. You were almost at the Astronomy Tower when suddenly something happened...

Mrs. Norris, Filch's demon cat and one of you worst enemies, was slinking toward you in the darkness of the hallway, her evil green eyes glowing maliciously.

"Shit" you whispered to yourself trying to hide behind a statue before she spotted you, but it was too late. She walked up and almost seemed to smile at you before turning around to walk back down the hall, no doubt in search for Filch.

"Oh no you don't, you stupid, demon cat from hell" you whispered with a smirk on your face, "Stupefy!" you hissed pointing your wand and the cat stopped dead in its tracks and fell sideways on to the ground. You walked up to her slowly and muttered another spell turning her into a violent shade of yellow.  
>You then proceeded to sprint away from her quickly, knowing Filch could not be too far behind and also that he would not be in a pleasant mood once he found his cat stupefied and yellow. You turned to the corner that led to the tower stairs just as Filch arrived in the hallway.<p>

"Mrs. Norris! What have those hooligans done to you! They are going to get it now!" you heard Filch exclaim angrily. He picked up his cat and you watched him stomp away in search of the student breaking curfew as you tried desperately hard to suppress your laughter.  
>"Hah, foiled again Filch!" you laughed to yourself as you strode up the stairs to the top of the tower. You paused as you reached the door that lead out to the top room.<p>

You knew when you opened it you would see Draco standing there, the moonlight illuminating every one of his beautiful features. '_Just stay calm Anna, stay calm_' you told yourself as you turned the doorknob and walked out into the room.

There he was, standing there just like he had so many times before in your sixth year. He turned and his eyes met yours making you catch your breath slightly.

"So glad you came" he said with a smirk as he walked over toward you.  
>"Well I couldn't deny your invitation could I? This a beautiful ring by the way" you said holding it up.<br>"I thought you would like it, beautiful yet dark in a way" he whispered. "Looks much better there than Wood's did" he added touching it lightly.  
>"Why did you change?" you asked suddenly changing the subject, you didn't want to talk about Oliver, not just yet.<br>"What do you mean? I haven't changed" he responded cocking an eyebrow.  
>"Oh yes you have Draco Malfoy, you wouldn't even look at me never mind talk to me at the end of last year" you explained, "and now you are giving me this ring and, well, being the Draco I knew at the beginning of sixth year" you said.<br>"You want the truth Anna? I was angry with you, so angry with you" he muttered with a pained look in his eyes.  
>"Angry? Why?" you asked.<br>"I followed after you the night of the dance, I felt horrible about the way I treated you. My old self got in the way of us being together, I never meant to yell at you the way I did, but I was jealous and didn't know how else to handle it. I watched you leave and I followed you up into the tower, but when I got there you- well- you were not exactly alone" he trailed off avoiding eye contact.  
>"You saw me with Oliver" you sighed finishing off his sentence for him.<br>"Yes I did" he said coldly. "I had never felt so hurt in my entire life" he said turning away from you.  
>"I am sorry Draco, I really am. I never wanted to hurt you, but you drove me to it you know, I thought- I thought I might actually… and then you were so mean to me. I needed someone that night and well- Oliver was there and he cared for me" you finished.<br>"Why did you move on so quickly? You just- you just kissed him… like that! Like you had never kissed me, like I never even mattered!" Draco said anger rising in his voice.  
>"You forced me to move on Draco! I couldn't dwell on someone who I thought hated me, could I? And I never kissed Oliver the way I kissed you; you were my first kiss Draco. You were the first guy I ever let my guard down for" you sighed rubbing your eyes trying to fight back tears.<p>

You hadn't come to the tower that night to fight with Draco, but it looked like that was all that was going to happen.  
>He turned around and just stared at you for a moment as if he was thinking.<p>

"Hello, my name is Draco Malfoy" he said holding his hand out to you. You raised an eyebrow at him confused about what had just happened. "I want to start over, I want to start new, Anna" he said in a sincere voice. "No more apologies, no more dwelling on the past okay? It is a new year for new beginnings".  
>You smiled up at him and shook his hand, "The name is Anna Darcy, nice to meet you Mr. Malfoy..."<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

The two of you sat there in the tower for nearly the entire night just talking and getting to know each other all over again. You had never been able to talk to someone so effortlessly before in your life, there was never an awkward silence or a nervous moment. It was like you two were completely in synch, like you were meant to be there with each other. 

"This feels right." you whispered as you sat with Draco's arms wrapped tightly around you and your head resting comfortably on his shoulder.  
>"Perfect." Draco answered in agreement as he kissed you gently on the forehead.<br>"I am so sorry Draco, for giving up on you that night. I should have fought for us, I knew I still cared about you" you said to him, "I still cared about you even when I was with Oliver, that's- that's why I left him." you sighed.  
>"Me?" Draco replied in disbelief.<br>"You." you answered, "Draco, he asked me to marry him, but when I looked down into his eyes all I could see were yours."  
>"You turned down Oliver Wood for me... the captain of bloody Puddlemere United, the cover boy of Witch's Weekly, and one of the richest teenagers in all of Europe?" he said.<br>"I would shut up before I start having second thoughts" you said jokingly.  
>He smiled down at you and kissed lightly on the lips, "I can't believe someone would give up so much to be with <em>me<em>" Draco said.  
>You shrugged, "You make me happy in a way he never did." you responded. "You made quite an impression on me during the first few months of school, one that has stuck with me for nearly a year now."<br>"You left quite an impression on me too, Miss Darcy" he laughed, "I never let you go. Merlin, I remember sitting at dinner and just staring at you, wishing so badly that I could have been Wood at that moment" he reminisced.  
>"Yeah, I used to notice you staring sometimes... I never knew why you were though." you replied.<br>"Well, now you do." he said.  
>"I wish I knew then though, and then we wouldn't have wasted all this time." you laughed turning around so you were face to face. You were so close that your noses were touching and you could feel his warm breath hitting your lips. He lifted his hand and rested it gently on your cheek and put his other one on your lower back pulling you even closer. You put your arms around his neck and bit your bottom lip nervously.<p>

"Are you going to kiss me or not Malfoy?" you said teasingly.

He smiled in response and pressed his lips up against yours; you deepened the kiss and in that moment felt perfect. Even after all the time that had passed you still remembered just the way he tasted and it felt so good to feel his lips against yours again.  
>You both stood up slowly and he pushed you gently up against the stone wall of the tower. You felt his tongue enter your mouth and you began to kiss harder and hungrier. He pressed his body up against yours and you gasped a little with pleasure. You placed your hand on his chest and felt his heart beating faster and faster with every moment. You felt his lips move down your neck and on to your collarbone as his hand ran slowly up your thigh. His hand began to slowly work its way up your shirt when you stopped him. You both looked into each other's eyes panting for breath.<p>

"What's wrong?" he said breathlessly.  
>"Nothing, I um- I'm just not ready for that yet." you answered and he nodded looking a little disappointed. It had taken you sixteen years to actually kiss a boy, not you were stuck up or prudish, it was because you were always searching for the perfect moment for things to happen.<br>"It's okay" he whispered kissing you gently on the lips once more, "we should be getting back now, I'll walk you." he said intertwining his fingers with yours and leading you down the winding staircase.

"What does this all mean Draco?" you asked as you reached the Ravenclaw portrait hole.  
>"What do you mean?" Draco asked not understanding your question.<br>"I mean- are we _together_?" you asked.  
>"If you want to be." he responded with a genuine smile that made you weak at the knees; you leaned against the wall so he wouldn't notice.<br>"I do" you answered, "but I don't want everyone to hate us" you sighed. "I just wish people were more accepting, you know?" you shook your head.  
>"Yeah I know" Draco said sadly stepping closer to you, "Should we keep it a secret for now?" he asked.<br>"Oh I wish I could tell the world" you replied, "but yet again... it is probably for the best".  
>He nodded and kissed you on the lips once more, "Goodnight Anna, sweet dreams" he whispered.<br>"Goodnight Draco, I'll see you tomorrow night then?" you asked with a smirk.  
>"You bet" he replied.<p>

You woke up the next morning to someone shaking you rather aggressively, "Wake up sleepy head!" someone said in a singsong voice. You just moaned in response and tried to turn away from the person, but they didn't give up.

"Wake up! It's bloody ten o'clock in the morning and I am hungry!" the person scolded literally pulling you off your bed.  
>You rolled on to the ground with a large, painful thump and looked to see Luna standing over you with a broad smile on her face.<p>

"Just five more minutes Mummy..." you whined turning over and nearly falling asleep on the floor.  
>"Oh no you don't! Up, up, up!" she demanded lifting you up and pushing you over to your trunk.<br>"Jeez have you been working out Luna?" you laughed as she pushed you over rather forcefully.  
>"Naw I am just naturally strong" she replied pretending to flex one of her biceps.<br>You laughed and pulled out a pair of ripped jeans and a simple black t-shirt that said '**Chaser**' on the front in bold, dark red letters. You quickly brushed you hair back into a ponytail before walking back over to Luna.

"Alright I'm ready" you groaned and she smiled before pulling you down the stairs.  
>"Slow down there Loony! We aren't all as awake as you" you whined.<br>"Why are you tired this morning anyways?" she asked slowing down a bit.  
>"I didn't get much sleep that's all" you lied.<p>

Luna just nodded and the two of you entered the Great Hall. Your eyes immediately searched for Draco, but he wasn't there. '_Probably still sleeping_' you thought enviously.  
>"Morning Anna, Luna" the gang greeted as you and Luna took a seat at the Gryffindor table.<br>"Morning..." you groaned in reply before resting your head down on the table for a nap.  
>"No! Eat your breakfast young lady" Luna snapped throwing a blueberry scone at you.<br>"Yeah, you need your energy Darcy... we are going to Hogsmeade today." Harry whispered with a smirk that spelled trouble and suddenly you felt more awake.  
>"We are what?" you responded in disbelief, "you guys know I'm not allowed to".<br>"So when have rules ever stopped you before Darcy?" Blaise asked with a wink.  
>You smiled back, "Yeah I guess you are right Zabini" you replied. Everyone else smiled obviously excited you agreed, you figured they had been planning it. The only one who didn't look happy was Hermione; she looked rather petrified. She knew that the Lestranges were your parents and the true reason why you weren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade.<br>"Are you sure this is a good idea Anna? It could be _dangerous_" she stated giving you a hard what-the-hell-are-doing look.  
>"It will be just fine Herms! Don't you go worrying that pretty head of yours" you laughed in reply taking a big bite of your buttered scone.<p>

"Alright is everyone ready?" Harry asked from the front of the group. You, Harry, Blaise, and Luna were all crammed under Harry's invisibility cloak. Hermione had refused to come and Ron not wanting to argue with his girlfriend decided to stay behind as well.  
>"Ready" you all whispered in reply. "Ouch! Watch it Blaise that is my toe" you hissed.<br>"Sorry about that Anna" he apologized.  
>"Hush up you two!" Luna scolded nervously; she rarely ever got in trouble. This sneaking out was actually quite uncharacteristic of her.<br>The four of you with Harry leading the way, Luna behind him, then you, and finally Blaise bringing up the rear slowly snuck down to the Womping Willow secret passageway that you had only been down once before. Harry threw a rock accurately on to the knot that froze the tree and the four of you proceeded through and down into the underground passage.  
>"Why did we come this way anyways?" you asked as you all walked through the dark, creepy tunnel.<br>"The other passageway is too small for the four of us to all fit" Harry explained.  
>"Right, good thinking mate" you replied as you tripped over a rock and went crashing into Blaise who was in front of you, "Bloody hell!" you exclaimed before you hit the ground.<br>"Watch it you klutz" Blaise laughed brushing himself off and pulling you up off the ground.  
>"Sorry, but whoever made this tunnel shouldn't have put a damn rock in the middle of the ground!" you said making everyone laugh. "What? I am serious dammit!"<br>"Shut up Darcy" Harry laughed, "We're here".

With that you all walked into the Shrieking Shack. It was a tattered, dirty place that had been uninhabited for many years due to the rumor that it was haunted.  
>"This is a nice little place isn't it?" you said thoughtfully, "We should fix it up someday" you commented.<br>"Yeah it's not like anyone else is using it" Harry agreed, "Everyone thinks it is haunted, because of Professor Lupin" he laughed.  
>"Well we can fix it up later, but let's go get some shopping done. My candy supply has diminished and I need to fill it back up again" Blaise said grabbing your hand and pulling you out of the shack.<br>"What if someone sees us?" Luna asked apprehensively.  
>"Who is going to see us? All the teachers are at Hogwarts and if we do see someone Harry has got the cloak at ready, they'll just think they're seeing things" you replied.<br>"Alright, but still let's go quick okay?" Luna said her eyes darting around fearfully.  
>"Stop being so paranoid Loony! We'll be just fine" you laughed as you walked into Honeydukes.<p>

You and Blaise headed over to the chocolate section of the store, while Luna and Harry were picking out some other types of candy like Fizzing Whizbees and Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. After purchasing at least a pound of chocolate you all walked out and headed down the street toward the other stores. After about another hour of shopping you all filed into Zonko's joke shop.  
>"Mr. Zonko!" you exclaimed in greeting to your good friend and owner of the joke shop.<br>"Ah! My best customer has come early this year!" he said happily bouncing over to you. "I don't recall Hogwarts having a Hogsmeade trip planned until next week" he said eying you suspiciously.  
>"Well we erm- planned our own little trip" you laughed winking at him.<br>He smiled and nodded, "you remind me of myself as a lad!" he laughed. "Come now, I got in some new stuff from America yesterday! Those Americans... I'm not sure if they are brilliant or out of their minds!" he chuckled.  
>A little while later you left the shop with a bag full of new surprises for Filch.<p>

"Can we go back now, we are starting to push our luck" Luna said.  
>"Okay we can head back" Harry said, "do you mind Anna?" he asked.<br>"Nope I am all set! Thanks for this guys" you said hugging them each in turn.  
>"Well we couldn't have you go the whole year without Hogsmeade, could we? We'll come back again some other time" Blaise said.<br>"Sounds like a plan" you said with a smile as you all snuck back into the Shrieking Shack.  
>"We really should fix this place up..." Harry sighed as he looked around at his surroundings.<br>"Well what's stopping us?" you asked with a mischievous glint in your eye.


	19. Chapter 19

You slowly pulled your covers off and slipped out of bed fully clothed in a pair of jeans and black zip-up hoodie much like you had the night before. You grabbed up a small bag of stuff you got at Hogsmeade and slowly tiptoed past Padma and your other roommates and out of the room. You crept through the darkness of the hallways making sure to stay completely quiet, '_Damn I wish Fred and George gave me the Marauder's Map instead of Harry_' you thought as you heard a sound approaching you in the darkness. You promptly hid yourself behind the statue of Oswald the Odd and watched two shadowy figures draw closer. 

"What are we going to do? What are we going to bloody do?" a frantic voice hissed in the dark.  
>"I do not know! I have told you a million times now" a second voice answered back angrily.<br>"The Mark glows brighter with every single day Severus, it burns..." the voice whispered anxiously, you now recognized it belonged to a female.  
>"I know it does Aldarah, I'm not bloody stupid!" the voice snapped, the voice belonged to your Potions professor, Severus Snape.<br>"What are we going to do Severus? The Lestranges are out on the loose, the must be looking for us by now! You betrayed them Severus when you saved that damn daughter of theirs and they think I helped you do it! Did you honestly think they wouldn't come after you once they got out?" the female's voice exclaimed, you now knew it was your Defense Against The Dark Arts professor, Aldarah Hollows, who also happened to be a vampire. You gasped as they said this, they were talking about you.  
>"Well I did not think they would get out!" Snape spat back, "Besides was I just supposed to sit back and watch him kill the girl! She is my godchild for Merlin's sake!"<br>Your heart stopped in that split second and your eyes grew wide in shock; did Snape just say he was your godfather? No, that couldn't be true... could it?  
>"I suppose you are right Severus and Darcy is a nice girl, it would have been a shame for her life to have been cut off so short, but we are in terrible danger Severus" Hollows sighed.<br>"We need to speak with Albus about this..." Snape said as they rounded the corner and out your earshot. 

You remained exactly where you were standing, still as stone, for a few minutes trying to process what you had just heard. Snape was your godfather? And he had saved your life when you were a baby? You thought about it for a second and you realized that you didn't have a clue what actually happened the night your parents were sent to Azkaban. You had no idea who took you in or who found you, or who tried to kill you... And if Snape was your godfather then why didn't he take you in? Why had you been forced to bounce from different foster homes for half of your childhood if he was still alive?  
>You forced yourself to push these thoughts to the side when you remembered Draco was waiting for you at the tower, probably worried by now. The answers to your questions would just have to wait another day.<p>

You sped down the hallway undetected and slipped up the Astronomy tower staircase. You opened the door to see Draco pacing back and forth in the small circular room muttering to himself.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to hide from some professors on the way" you apologized.  
>He looked up at the sound of your voice and smiled at you.<p>

"I was getting worried" he laughed walking over and kissing you gently on the lips. "What is that you got there?" he asked pointing to the bag in your right hand.  
>"Oh this" you said holding it up, "Well you know me and my erm- <em>disregard<em> for rules, I took a little trip to Hogsmeade today and picked you up some stuff" you explained handing him over the bag.  
>He looked through the bag at the Honeyduke's candy, Zonko's products, and some Quidditch magazines from the supply store.<p>

"Thanks Anna, this is awesome!" he exclaimed, "How did you manage to get there?" he asked curiously.  
>"I told you Draco, I know every single secret passage that leads in as well as <em>out<em> of this here school" you laughed.  
>He laughed too, "Well you are going to have to show me that passage sometime alright?" he asked.<br>"Of course! If you don't mind breaking a few rules" you responded.  
>"What do you think we are doing right now? Wandering after dark... I am a bit of a rule breaker myself Miss Darcy" he answered with a smirk.<br>"It just makes making out all the more fun when you know there is a chance of getting in trouble, doesn't it?" you said with a smirk and a suggestive wink.  
>"I don't know... maybe we should see about that" Draco said slyly as he wrapped his arms tightly around your waist and pulled your body up against his.<br>As his lips met yours in a passionate kiss you forgot all about what you heard Snape and Hollows talking about in the hallways earlier. You kissed him back hard and ran your fingers through his platinum blonde hair. He pushed you up against the wall and you straddled him with your legs as he kissed your neck delicately, he slowly began to unzip your hoodie when you both heard someone coming up the stairs...

You jumped away from each other instantaneously; you zipped your hoodie back up and desperately tried to fix your now messed up hair.

"We were doing homework!" Draco hissed at you throwing you a roll of parchment and a quill from his book bag. You nodded and began to scribble down some random names of stars and diagrams as he stood next to you fidgeting nervously with the zipper of his sweatshirt. 

"Okay class this is the Astronomy Tower, I would like you to all fill out the charts I gave to you using your provided telescopes" you heard Professor Sinistra explaining to a class of chatting students.  
>"Don't worry Draco" you whispered in his ear, "Sinistra adores me" you chuckled quietly.<p>

"Oh! What is this? Two students out on the tower so late at night?" Sinistra said as she entered the room with her a group of first year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors behind her. She was an extremely tall and slender lady, with small square spectacles she wore on the tip of her pointed nose, small beady blue eyes, and long wavy brown hair that fell just above her hips. She always wore a set of dark blue robes covered with stars and planets; she was an odd lady who had instantly taken a liking to your _outlandish behavior_ as she defined it.  
>"Yes Professor Sinistra! We were just catching up on some of our homework that's all" you said sweetly holding up the notebook Draco had thrown at you as evidence.<br>"Oh very good indeed Miss Darcy!" she exclaimed, "This here children is one of my best students, Miss Anna Darcy. Would you mind helping some these students out with their star charts? And is that you Mr. Malfoy? Ah yes it is! I would love for you to help out as well" she said happily.  
>"Yes Professor!" you and Draco both replied in unison, each thankful you weren't going to get in trouble. You spent another hour helping first years out with the star charts when finally Sinistra dismissed the class.<br>"Thank you both very much! I will be giving you extra credit on your next exam!" Sinistra said with a wide smile, "Do you two need a pass?" she asked.  
>"Yes that would be wonderful" you answered politely trying not too laugh. You were breaking one of the most enforced rules of Hogwarts, curfew, and to make out with a boy no less and she was giving you extra credit! 'You evil genius, you' you thought amusedly to yourself.<br>"Okay then" and with a flick of her wand two pieces of yellow parchment appeared, "that should get you back without any trouble from the Prefects" she said.  
>"Thanks Professor!" you and Draco exclaimed before nearly running down the staircase.<p>

"Well that was a close call! Thank Merlin she doesn't know about the whole we are never-allowed-out-after-dark rule, huh?" you laughed.  
>"Yeah she probably spaced out during the whole meeting when they explained it" Draco chuckled, "We are so lucky that lady is a complete ditz".<br>"We really are" you agreed, "Imagine if it was McGonagall? I would be in detention for the rest of the bloody year!"  
>Draco chuckled at your comment, "So what do you want to now?" he asked stopping you in the hall and turning to look at you with those amazing cold blue eyes of his.<br>"Well I was thinking since it is probably well past midnight and that we have classes tomorrow- um- I don't know, sleep?" you replied.  
>"Yeah I guess you are right" he sighed sadly, "My plan is just going to have to wait until another night, eh?" he said with a seductive wink.<br>"I don't even want to know what you are planning in that mind of yours Mr. Malfoy!" you laughed, "I'll see you tomorrow in Divination, okay?" you said.  
>"It is a date" he replied leaning over and kissing you tenderly on the lips, "Goodnight".<br>"Goodnight".

"Where are you going?" Luna asked as you walked quickly past her that morning and out through the Ravenclaw portrait hole.  
>"I am going to skip breakfast, I need to talk to Dumbledore about something" you replied, "Will you ask Harry to bring me something to eat in Defense Against Dark Arts?" you asked, you knew you wouldn't get through the day without any breakfast at all.<br>"Yeah, okay sure" Luna replied still looking a little confused.  
>"Thanks Luna!" you called over shoulder as you jogged away from her down the hall.<p>

You turned the corner and strode up to the statue of the stone gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. "Cauldron Cakes" you said and the gargoyle split in half revealing a long, winding staircase. You sprinted quickly up the stairs and knocked on the door.  
>"Come in" came the elderly man's gentle voice and you opened the door slowly to see him sitting at his desk peering at you over his half moon spectacles. "Good morning Miss Darcy, what brings you here?" he asked kindly.<br>"I have to ask you something Headmaster" you replied sitting down in the plush, dark green chair that he had conjured up for you.  
>"Of course Miss Darcy, what is your question?" he asked folding his hands on top of the table and looking at you intently to show he was listening.<br>"What happened the day my parents were sent to Azkaban?" you asked straightforwardly.  
>He nodded and sighed as if he had been expecting you to ask that very question, "I knew a time would come when I would have to explain this to you" he said, "but it won't be easy. See your parents were Voldemort's two most prized Death Eaters and when they had you he was extremely pleased. He thought he had possibly found a young heir to his dark thrown, since he had never had any children himself. Of course your parents willingly agreed to name him your godfather" he started, "But then something happened to change this. Lucius Malfoy, another of Voldemort's most prized servants, had a young boy shortly after whom he named Draco. Voldemort decided he would rather have a male heir and chose him to be it instead of you".<br>You gasped, "You mean Draco is Voldemort's godchild?" you asked.  
>"Yes Miss Darcy, I am afraid so, but he does not know it" Dumbledore sighed, "Your parents were extremely disappointed that he had chosen the Malfoy child over you, so Voldemort agreed that you and Mr. Malfoy were to be wed when you both came of age at eighteen and you would both take up the thrown after Voldemort passed on. Another thing happened though that changed this plan, a prophecy was made Miss Darcy" he said.<br>By this point your eyes were wide in shock, "I was meant to wed Draco?" you asked.  
>"Yes Miss Darcy, a contract was even written out" he said before continuing with the tale, "This prophecy that changed everything read like this:<p>

'_The two children of the Dark Lord's prize... _

_One beautiful with warm eyes of honey and the other of ice... _

_Born into the world with their destiny sealed... _

_But both will deceive he who chose them with the power they wield..._

_The girl will rise up and bring the boy by her side... _

_Together they are strong, but weak in divide... _

_As her heart melts ice the time draws near... _

_And in the end the Dark Lord and the Boy Who Lived will both bow to her in fear..._'"

Dumbledore finished.  
>"That- it can't be- is that about m-me?" you finally managed to stutter out.<br>"Yes Miss Darcy, you are a child of the Dark Lord's prize and you are the girl with the warm eyes of honey just like your father's. The orb that holds your prophecy is labeled Anna Lestrange and Draco Malfoy" Dumbledore sighed, "And Voldemort knew it, so of course he immediately ordered to have you killed. You and the Potter boy were going to be his downfall in the end according to the prophecies made, but as far as he knew the Malfoy boy was not a threat as long as you were dead. He ordered your parents to kill you straight away while he took care of the Potters, but someone stopped them before they could kill you. He stupefied them and then proceeded to call the Aurors which locked your parents away in Azkaban. Voldemort's plans were foiled again that night when Harry survived his attack and drained him of all his power".  
>"Professor Snape saved me..." you whispered and Dumbledore looked at you surprised obviously overhearing you.<br>"So you know?" he asked curiously.  
>"I erm- overheard him and Professor Hollows talking" you explained.<br>"Uh yes- Professor Hollows was there that night as well" he said thoughtfully, "Only your age at the time, she was sent by Voldemort to make sure everything went well. Snape and Hollows were spies for the Order you see" Dumbledore explained.  
>You nodded slowly trying to take everything you had just been told in.<p>

"What does it mean by '_the power they wield_'?" you asked, "What does that prophecy mean in general?" you asked in utter bewilderment.  
>"It means that you and Mr. Malfoy's fates were sealed the day you were born, your parents had chosen your paths for you to become two of the most powerful Death Eaters of all time, the two who would take Voldemort's place after his death. Then it said that you and Mr. Malfoy would deceive your parents and create your own path in life with a power that you wielded. It then said you would rise up against the Dark Lord bringing Malfoy with you, together you are strong, but alone you are weak. And finally it says when you melt the ice, or when you warm up to Mr. Malfoy I believe, is when the time Voldemort will come and he and Harry will bow to you in fear" he finished.<br>You didn't respond, you didn't say anything; you were in a state of shock by this point.

"Me and Draco are supposed to take on the Dark Lord?" you asked.  
>"You two I believe are meant to play an important part in the destruction of Voldemort especially you Anna, though only Mr. Potter is destined to kill him or be killed" Dumbledore answered.<br>You nodded again, "What is the power we wield Professor?" you asked once more.  
>"I am not positive Miss Darcy" he answered, "but the only power that the Dark Lord every truly feared was love..."<p> 


	20. Chapter 20

'_Love_'... the word echoed through your head as Dumbledore said it. Love was a big word, a word only to be used if you truly meant it, could you possibly love Draco? And could the power of love really take on the darkest and one of the most powerful wizards of all time?  
>"Oh." you finally responded for lack of something better to say. "I have another question Headmaster." you said remembering something else that had been bothering you.<br>"Yes Miss Darcy?" he asked.  
>"If Professor Snape is my godfather then why didn't he take me in after my parents were taken away? I mean he is like my family isn't he? Then why was I forced to live in foster homes all my life? And why does he hate me so much?" you inquired.<br>"He did offer to take you in Miss Darcy, but it was much too dangerous at the time. His true identity had been revealed to the other Death Eaters, so naturally there were many people out to kill him in vengeance of their master. To have taken you in then would have been to put your life in danger. When he became safer and most of the Death Eaters were rounded up and put into Azkaban, dead, or in denial they ever had anything to do with Voldemort, it seemed like it was already too late. You were eight or nine at the time I believe and you had been put into the Darcy home, you were happy Anna and we didn't want to pull you away from the first real home you had ever had. And as for hating you, Miss Darcy, that he does not, but I am afraid when he looks at you, he sees your father so clearly... Your father had always been cruel to Professor Snape, treating him more like a servant than a friend. It is very much like the way he feels about Mr. Potter, he cannot see him for Harry – only for his father James," Dumbledore explained, "I hope you understand."  
>"I do Headmaster" you replied, "I should uh- be getting to class I guess" you muttered.<br>"I know this is an awful lot to handle in one day Miss Darcy, I am sure you are feeling particularly overwhelmed by all this. But you are strong my dear, you will get through this just fine" he said with a small smile, his eyes twinkling.  
>"Thank you Professor" you said quietly.<br>"Oh and Miss Darcy one more thing!" he called from behind you as you made to walk back down the stairs out of his office. You turned around and faced him again, "Please when you see Mr. Malfoy tell him to come see me straight away. I believe he has a right to this information as well".  
>"Of course Professor" you replied before walking out of his office to Defense Against the Dark Arts.<p>

"Sorry Professor, I was talking to Professor Dumbledore about something" you explained as you walked into the classroom twenty minutes late.  
>"Yes I know; he sent me a note" Professor Hollows said holding up a yellow piece of parchment in her hand. She smiled nervously at you and you could see a hint of fear in her glowing red eyes. "I trust you had an informative conversation" she whispered so only you could hear.<br>"Yes very informative" you answered, "thanks to your little conversation with Professor Snape I am all caught up on my life" you finished.  
>She gulped nervously, "you don't tell anyone what you heard that night, you understand? I don't need people knowing I was a Death Eater" she hissed.<br>"I thought you were a spy?" you inquired cocking an eyebrow at her suspiciously. You had to admit you were a little weary of her now after the conversation you had overhead, she had sounded mad that Snape had saved your life.  
>"I was a spy Darcy" she snapped in reply, "But that doesn't matter to anyone; all that matters to them is that I have this damn thing on my arm" she snapped pointing to the part of her skin hidden by her cloak where the Dark Mark was tattooed.<br>"I won't tell anyone" you said shortly before turning away from her and taking a seat next to Harry and Blaise. 

"What was that all about?" Harry whispered curiously as you sat down.  
>"Nothing... did you bring me breakfast?" you asked as your stomach grumbled angrily.<br>"Oh yeah" he said pulling out a muffin wrapped up in a napkin from the front pouch of his book bag, "you like blueberry right?" he asked.  
>"As long as it is food, it is fine with me" you answered taking it and happily woofing it down while Professor Hollows back was turned toward the board.<p>

"Harry can I talk to for a second?" you said quietly as you filed out of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He nodded and you pulled him into one of the darker side hallways where you were sure no one would overhear what you had to say.  
>"What is it?" he asked leaning against the wall and looking at you attentively.<br>"Well I was just thinking about something, you remember Dumbledore's Army?" you whispered. Dumbledore's Army or the DA was a group of students who had practiced defense against the dark arts in fifth year secretly in the Room of Requirement and you had been one of the members. The idea you were about to propose to Harry came to mind as soon as you left Dumbledore's office. The prophecy said you would play an important role in the end of the Second War against Voldemort and if you had to help defeat him in the end you wanted to be prepared.  
>"Of course" he replied nodding.<br>"What do you say we start it up again? The time when we will all be forced to face him grows ever closer as school comes to an end. We will be kicked out into the real world next year and I for one want to be ready" you said.  
>Harry nodded thoughtfully at what you said, "You are right Anna. I'll have a talk with Hermione, she organized it last time" he answered.<br>"Good" you said with a small smile, "see you at lunch" you said and with that you disappeared around the corner of the hallway toward Divination.

You climbed the ladder that led up to the small, stuffy classroom and looked around for Draco. He was sitting at the back table and smiled broadly when you walked in while motioning for you to take the seat beside him. You walked over to him and sat down your mind racing with Dumbledore's words as you did.  
>"Hey Anna, nice to see you again" he greeted.<br>"Yeah, you too Draco" you replied in a quiet voice.  
>"Something wrong?" he asked noticing the sort of dazed look in your eyes.<br>"Oh um- I was supposed to tell you to see go and meet with Dumbledore as soon as possible. There is something important he needs to tell you" you responded.  
>"Oh okay, should I go now?" he asked.<br>"Erm- yeah I suppose you should" you replied not looking him in the eyes.

You knew he had to go and see Dumbledore, he needed to know about the prophecy, but part of you really didn't want him to hear it. How would he react to it? Draco's life had been planned since he was born by his overbearing parents. You were something that he thought he had chosen on his own, falling for you certainly wasn't in his parents' plans right? You were sort of Draco's rebellion against his parents, but what would happen when he realized that he didn't even have a choice in falling for you? What would he think when he realized that had been planned from the beginning to?  
>"Alright then, I'll go tell the old bag" he laughed referring to Professor Trelawney, "I'll see you tonight" he said kissing you on the cheek and walking down to Professor Trelawney's desk. You watched him descend down the ladder away from you and your stomach did a painful squirm as you pondered what his response would be to the news.<p>

"Hey, you alright there, Anna? You seem kind of out of it." Blaise commented as you took your seat at the Gryffindor table for lunch. You just shook your head symbolizing you were fine and looked around the room. Draco was nowhere to be found at the Slytherin table, '_probably still talking with Dumbledore_' you figured as you turned away.  
>"Are you sure you are okay?" Ron asked suspiciously, "I mean they are serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches today... usually you would have eaten eight by now" he joked, but he looked concerned.<br>"Oh, I guess I am just kind of tired" you responded reaching over and grabbing a sandwich, but you only at half of it before putting down on your plate.  
>"Okay something is definitely wrong!" Blaise said looking down at the sandwich.<br>"Just feeling a little under the weather mate" you lied giving him a reassuring smile, he didn't look entirely convinced, but dropped the subject anyways. 

"Burn this after you read it" someone hissed in your ear and you turned to see Hermione behind you with a piece of parchment in her hands. She proceeded in handing Ron and Blaise one too before disappearing down to the other end of the table. Harry and sat down across from you and Harry winked at you secretly, you smiled slightly knowing it was an announcement of the DA starting up again.  
>You tucked the note securely in your pocket planning to read that night after classes. The rest of lunch you spent silently watching the double doors of the Great Hall, waiting for Draco to walk through them, but he never did. You didn't even hear you friends' voices asking if you were okay...<p>

Your last class of the day was over and you were sitting in the darkest corner of the Ravenclaw Common Room away from everyone else. You had yet to see Draco and it was tearing you apart with anxiety. You pushed your worries aside for a moment and looked down at the note Hermione had given you earlier that day at lunch.

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_You have been selected and formally invited to join a prestigious group know as 'Dumbledore's Army' or the DA for short. This is a top-secret group and all those who do not wish to look like Marietta Edgecomb did after she betrayed us will keep it a secret. We will be studying methods of defense against the dark arts under Harry Potter. He will be preparing you for the dangers that lay ahead of you after Hogwarts while You-Know-Who is at large. We are the future my friends and we are all that stands in His way of enslaving over the entire Wizarding world.  
>The information you are about to receive is classified and meant for your eyes only. The DA will meet twice a week every week from 7:30 to 9:00 at night in the Room of Requirement on Thursday and Sunday. If you do not know how to get to this room please speak with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, or Anna Darcy. Please bring your wand to all of these meetings and please be as secretive as possible while entering the room.<em>

_Thank you, we hope to see you present at our first meeting this upcoming Thursday. Please burn this note after its contents have been read in their entirety._

_Signed,  
><em> 

_The DA Representatives_

You smiled and walked over to the fireplace at the end of the Common Room and threw the note inside the flame. You watched as the parchment burnt to ashes. When you were sure it had been completely disintegrated you walked up the stairs to your dormitory to get ready for the night ahead of you in the tower. For the first time you actually were not looking forward to seeing Draco.  
>You pulled on a long, flowing gray patchwork skirt and a white t-shirt before tucking yourself in to bed. You lay down in your bed restlessly as the other girls slowly filed in and one by one fell asleep. Finally the hour struck 10:30 and you stood up from your bed, threw on a black sweatshirt so you would be harder to spot, and head down the stairs mentally preparing yourself for what would probably turn out to be a long night.<p> 


	21. Chapter 21

There he was, standing at the edge staring out in the stars and blackness of the night. There was something different about his eyes, they looked sad or troubled, yes troubled was the word. Like something was weighing down on his mind. '_He knows..._' you thought sadly, of course he knew, why wouldn't he? But it still hadn't stopped you from having a secret hope that maybe Dumbledore hadn't told him. 

You opened your mouth to speak, but your heart was caught up in your throat and no sound came from your lips. You stood there for nearly ten minutes hoping he would just turn around and see you, but his eyes never left the darkness.

"Hey Draco..." you finally greeted quietly mustering up all the courage you had to walk over and stand beside him.

"Hi Anna" his voice came, but it was so low it was almost inaudible.  
>"So Dumbledore told you everything I guess." you said as more of a statement rather than a question.<br>"Yeah he did" Draco replied, his eyes never meeting yours as he spoke. "Took me by surprise a little to say the least" he sighed running his fingers through his long blonde hair uneasily.  
>"It caught me by surprise too Draco" you answered back placing your hand on his shoulder gently. He looked down at your hand and you half expected him to pull away or shrug it off, but he did neither. He took your hand in his, lacing his fingers with yours and sighed heavily. "So- so then you still want to be with me?" you asked cautiously looking down at your intertwined hands.<br>"Of course I do Anna" he whispered looking surprised by your words, "Why would I ever want to leave you?"  
>"I don't know... I just thought- that I was kind of like your rebellion against your parents. That maybe if you knew you were supposed to end up with me, you wouldn't want to" you said looking away from him.<br>He cupped your cheek in his hand and shivers ran down your spine at his touch, "I could care less about what is _supposed_ to happen or what others want to happen, all I know is that I care about you more than I have ever cared about someone before" he whispered.  
>You smiled at his words and kissed him gently on the lips, so thankful that he wasn't going to desert you now when you needed him the most.<p>

"So are you okay?" you asked.  
>"I don't know, I really don't know" he answered shaking his head, "He is my bloody godfather Anna, Voldemort is my godfather. It was bad enough being the son of a Death Eater, but the godchild of the darkest wizard alive?" Draco said angrily.<br>"You are nothing like him Draco, just like you are nothing like your father" you said reassuringly.  
>"I don't know Anna, it just seems like I am destined to turn out a terrible person. Look at my family... I just- I hate the fact that I am related to these horrible people. It makes me feel- it makes me feel guilty" he finished.<br>"I know what you mean, mate. Sometimes I can't even face Harry I feel so guilty, my bloody mother killed his godfather... the only family he had left" you said softly, "Sometimes I almost feel like it is my fault you know?"  
>He nodded, "Almost like you feel responsible for all the innocent lives they took... not that we had anything to do with them- it just-" he started.<br>"Hurts." you finished for him.

He nodded again and stood behind you wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. You placed your hands on top of his and sighed.

"You are not destined to be like them." you finally spoke as you replayed Draco's words in your mind.  
>"What?" he asked snapping back into reality at your words.<br>"You said it seemed like you were destined to turn out like them, but you are not" you said turning around so the two of you were face to face, his arms still wrapped around your waist. "You are destined to defy them, to stand up to them and in the end put an end to their madness. That is what the prophecy said." you explained.  
>"I suppose you are right" he replied, "But what if I am not strong enough to face him Anna? He is the bloody Dark Lord, I am not you Anna and I'm not Harry, hell I'm not even Neville! I am a bloody coward" he mumbled, "What if crack and just break down? What if ruin everything? What if it is my fault that he succeeds?" he asked; his face looking very troubled.<br>"You are strong enough Draco, if you were a coward you would not be here with me right now. You would be sitting in the Slytherin Common with Pansy Parkinson just like your family would want if you were a coward. You know the risks we are taking by being together, imagine how people would react? I say you are quite brave Draco Malfoy" you said firmly, "And you need to be strong through this, because in the end I can't do it without you" you finished.  
>He smiled weakly, "I will be strong for you Anna" he responded, "for us..." he whispered brushing back a few strands of your hair.<br>"For us." you agreed before you changed the subject. "I need to talk to you about something, I cannot tell you the details or else I would break out in unsightly boils" you laughed.  
>Draco chuckled, "Well we wouldn't want to mar that beautiful face of yours, would we?"<br>"No we wouldn't" you agreed with a smirk, "Anyways I have joined a group that practices Defense Against the Dark arts, so I will be erm- prepared when we leave Hogwarts for good this year. I will no longer be able to come here on Sunday and Thursday nights. I also was thinking maybe we could meet in the Room of Requirements a few times a week and we can practice some defense against dark magic, because in the end it may come down to me, you, and Harry" you finished.  
>"Sounds good to me" he responded, "How about Monday and Tuesday nights?" he asked. "We can spend the rest of your free nights here in the tower" he said with a suggestive wink.<br>"I was so innocent before I met you Mr. Malfoy" you said amusedly.  
>"Yeah well innocent isn't very fun, is it?" he replied pulling you tight up against him. You heart pounded at the feeling of being so close to him; you couldn't get over how gorgeous he really was. His strong arms wrapped around you, his eyes like ice staring straight down into your soul, his kissable lips only mere inches from yours...<br>"No, not very fun at all" you responded, just before he pulled you into a long, passionate kiss.

"Hello everyone, the name is Anna Darcy as I am sure most of you already know" you said as the last few members of the DA filed into the Room of Requirement. It now had three bookshelves full of Defense Against the Dark Arts books, various dark magic detectors and devices, floor pillows, a chalkboard, and a table surrounded by chairs.  
>"And I am Hermione Granger and you all know Harry Potter" Hermione added.<br>"We are the DA representatives and are very pleased that you all showed up tonight. I must first stress that we are a secret group and I would prefer us to stay that way unless you are all interested in having Fudge wobble his big arse on down here and expel us all" you laughed, but you heard Hermione gasp behind you at the word '_expel_'.  
>"Anyways... you all know the basics from the letter correct?" you asked and everyone nodded, "Okay then- well since this is the first meeting let's get to know everyone's name and house! You all will become like family before the end of this year, you will need to trust and be able to depend on each, because these will be the people you are fighting beside during this war" you finished seriously before pointing to a tall boy with long dirty blonde hair he wore pulled back in a ponytail and extremely dark brown eyes.<br>"The name is Zacharias Smith" he stated, "from Hufflepuff". Justin Flitch-Fletchy, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, and Molly Bones were also there from Hufflepuff. Blaise Zabini turned out to be the only Slytherin. There was Luna Lovegood, Michael Corner, Adam Lyndon, Emily Lewis, Kelly Dewey and Danny Cahill from Ravenclaw. And Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Parvati Patil, Lavander Brown, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Colin Creevey, and Dennis Creevey all from Gryffindor.  
>"Wonderful! Well anyways let's get started, eh? What do you have planned for us today my dear boy?" you asked turning to Harry.<br>"Well I was thinking we could work on some basic shielding spells first" he suggested looking nervous about talking in front of such a large gathering of people.  
>"Shielding spells it is!" you declared. You walked over and patted him on the back, "You will be just fine, I know it... I am here for you mate" you whispered words of reassurance into Harry's ear and he smiled thankfully at you. But as he smiled at you so, a wave of guilt washed over your body. You remembered the smile he had on his face when he had seen Sirius again at Twelve Grimmauld Place the summer going into fifth year, your mother had ruined it... killed the only happiness Harry really had left. <p>

"Alright everyone separate into pairs, okay" Harry instructed gaining a little confidence and snapping you out of your thoughts. Everyone nodded and began to scuffle around the room to find a partner. Ron and Hermione after a few awkward glances at one another finally got up the courage to partner up, you partnered up with Blaise, and Luna partnered up with Ginny Weasley. "Now who would like to help me demonstrate?" Harry asked and everyone immediately took a step back.  
>"I'll do it" you volunteered to keep Harry from the embarrassment of having to force someone to come up and also you had never been nervous in front of crowd, on the contrary you actually enjoyed an audience.<br>"Thanks Darcy. Now I am just going to demonstrate how this particular spell works. Anna is going to try and cast a jinx on me, but before he spell hits I am going to yell out Protego while flicking my wand like so" he explained. "Now everyone say it with me... Protego!"  
>"Protego!" the class mimicked back.<br>"Good!" Harry exclaimed, "Now here it goes, send any spell at me you want Anna when I count to three".  
>"Sure thing Mr. Potter!" you replied enthusiastically.<br>"One... Two... Three..."  
>On three you yelled "STUPEFY!" it was the first spell that had come to mind. A bright red light shot out of your wand and straight toward Harry.<br>"PROTEGO!" he yelled and a large, blue, force field like wall shot up in front of him. The red bolt of light bounced off the wall and hurtled straight back toward you.  
>"Bloody hell!" you exclaimed jumping out of the spell's way just in time. "You didn't tell me the little bugger would come flying back at me" you laughed.<br>"Oh yeah erm- sorry about that Anna" Harry mumbled turning a little pink. He turned around to face the class, "See the Protego charm works like a mirror, it will reflect the spell back on to the person that cast it in the first place" Harry explained. "Now you can try it for yourselves in your groups!"

You walked back over to Blaise still a little shaken up from nearly stupefying yourself. "Alright let me do the shielding first, I am a little shaky" you said.  
>"Fine by me" Blaise replied, "Ready one... two... three... FURNUCULUS!" he yelled and pinkish purple sort of light shot out of his wand.<br>"PROTEGO!" you yelled and the same force field like wall appeared sending the spell back at Blaise a little quicker than he had expected, because it hit him straight on. Some rather unattractive boils began to break out all over his skin.

"Woops, got to move a little bit faster there mate" you teased, trying not to burst out laughing but doing a terrible job at it.  
>"It isn't funny Anna!" Blaise snapped.<br>"Actually it is pretty comical" Lavander Brown commented with an amused look on her face.  
>"Oh stop it you two! I'll help you out Blaise" Parvati said before walking over to Blaise and muttering the counter of the spell making Blaise's skin clear up. Parvati was Padma Patil's twin sister and was just as pretty, but in your opinion about ten times nicer.<br>"Thanks Parvati" Blaise said with a bright smile and you noticed she was blushing a bit.  
>"N-no problem" she stuttered back before scurrying back over to Lavander who was at this point hunched over with uncontrollable giggles. <p>

"Reckon she has got a crush on you mate" you said with a smirk on your face.  
>"Me? No- you think? I mean she is like- pretty" he said in disbelief.<br>"Hey you are fairly pretty yourself Zabini" you responded.  
>"Aw... Anna you think that I am pretty?" he asked humorously batting his eyelashes.<br>You raised an eyebrow at him before shouting out a spell causing his hair to turn a bright shade of pink. "There _now_ you are pretty" you declared.  
>"ANNA! Turn my bloody hair back to its right bloody color!" he ordered not seeming too amused.<br>You put your finger on your chin pretending to think, "No, I don't think I will".  
>"Fine then" he snapped before suddenly yelling the very same spell you had.<br>"PROTEGO!" you exclaimed and the spell shot back at him turning his hair an even more vivid shade of pink. "_Ooh_ too quick for you!" you exclaimed.  
>"Very good Anna, excellent work" Harry commented patting you on the shoulder. Blaise just stood there glaring at the two of you as you both broke out into laughter.<br>"I will get you two for this! Just you wait!" he declared pointing his finger threateningly at the two of you, but it only succeeded in making you laugh harder.

The class ended when the clock struck 9:00, students began to file out in pairs or trios, so it wouldn't be obvious a whole group of you had been gathered.  
>"Well that went well" you said with a smile when only you, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Blaise, and Luna remained.<br>"Yeah it did, I wasn't even nervous by the end of it" Harry said proudly.  
>"You were a great teacher Harry" Luna said kissing him on the cheek.<br>"ARRGH PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION!" you and Blaise both shouted in unison as you proceeded to cover each other's eyes.  
>"Oh grow up you too" Hermione laughed shaking her head at the both of you.<br>"You ever notice we're the only two without a significant other in this little posse?" Blaise asked you with a sudden expression of dawning on his face.  
>'<em>Actually mate, you are the only one without one<em>' you thought to yourself, since you had Draco, but you replied "Aye mate... we are just two lonely souls".  
>"Drifting along with no one to love, no one to hold..." Blaise continued.<br>"No one to change my diapers when I am tired and old..." you sang in a high-pitched opera like voice.  
>"You two are too bloody weird" Ron chuckled before walking out of the room holding Hermione's hand, who was looking at you as if you were mad.<br>"I still say that they are the weird ones" you said.  
>"I am with you mate, I am with you" Blaise agreed as the two of you walked out behind them...<p> 


	22. Chapter 22

The next few weeks went by quite uneventfully... The DA had been meeting twice and you were happy to see how well everyone was improving. Harry had moved on from teaching shielding to more challenging defensive spells. By the end of the first months or so even students such as Neville Longbottom and the Creevey brothers had managed to conjure up their very individual Patronuses. You and Draco had also begun to meet secretly twice a week in the Room of Requirement. You went over everything you learned in the DA meetings with him and much more, but he was yet to conjure a Patronus. On the three other nights that you were not practicing Defense Against the Dark Arts, you were up with Draco in the tower.

"You need to think of your happiest memory; you need to visualize it clearly in your mind" you lectured Draco as he failed to produce a Patronus for the sixth time that night.  
>"I am!" he retorted looking rather annoyed and frustrated that he couldn't do it right, "It just isn't working dammit!"<br>"Calm down there sparky" you laughed patting him comfortingly on the shoulder, "What memory did you decide on?" you asked curiously.  
>"When I made the Quidditch team in third year" Draco answered with a shrug.<br>"That isn't good enough mate" you responded, "You need to picture a moment where you were the happiest that you have ever been in your life" you explained.  
>He looked out into space with his eyebrows furrowed like he was thinking.<p>

"What memory did you pick?" he asked.  
>"When I met the Darcy family, they were the first people to ever really care for me" you answered.<br>He nodded, "I think I have a memory" he stated.  
>"What would that be?" you asked.<br>"The day I realized that you actually cared for me, for the person I really am" he replied, "You were the first person to ever really care about me Anna". You blushed pink as he said this and kissed him sweetly on the lips. 

"Alright, ready?" you asked.  
>"Born ready" he answered with a wink, at this you thought really hard about a Dementor and one finally appeared, because the Room of Requirement supplies you with whatever you require at the moment.<p>

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he yelled pointing his wand out, but only a faint silvery wisp escaped his wand. He started to grow extremely pale and you expected him to faint once more at any moment.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he yelled again, but this time with more gusto and to your amazement a large eagle soared out of his wand and began to claw at the Dementor, until it was gone. 

"You did it! Draco, you did it!" you exclaimed excitedly wrapping your arms around his neck. He hugged you close and swung you around in a circle with happiness.  
>"I did do it, didn't I!" he laughed looking very proud.<br>"So you make an eagle huh? Eagles are known to be symbols of bravery and intelligence, and it says your Patronus mirrors your personality" you commented on the shape his Patronus took with a bright smile.  
>"Yeah, I guess" he replied with a shrug, "What form does yours take?" he asked.<br>"A tiger" you answered.  
>"Fierce yet beautiful and elegant" Draco whispered, "Just like you my dear" he laughed putting his arm around you.<p>

Draco practiced conjuring up a Patronus a few more times, getting better with each attempt. Finally you two decided to stop early for the night and just talk for a while.  
>"So what do you want for your birthday?" you asked, Draco's birthday was in just a few days.<br>"Oh you don't have to get me anything, being with you is plenty" he said with a smile.  
>"<em>Awww<em> aren't you a sweetie" you said placing your hand over your heart, "But I am getting you a present Mr. Malfoy and a nice one too! Especially after you gave me this gorgeous ring" you said steadfastly.  
>"Well if you insist, but you really don't have to" he said looking a little unsure.<br>"I want to Draco! In fact I think I have the perfect idea for what to on your birthday" you said with a playful grin.  
>"What is going on in that twisted mind of yours Anna Darcy?" he asked inquisitively.<br>"I am not telling! Then it wouldn't be much of a surprise would it?" you exclaimed.  
>"Oh come on, I don't like surprises..." he whined putting his arms around your waist and sticking out his lower lip to make a pouty face.<br>"Oh you are just so cute" you said pinching him on the cheek, "But I am still not telling!"  
>He sighed; "Fine" he said accepting defeat. "I get a birthday kiss right though?" he asked mischievously.<br>"Of course you do... but I was thinking you could have that present a little early" you said with a wink moving your face so it was just mere inches from his.  
>"I have no problem with that" he replied with a smirk as he brought his lips up against yours. You deepened the kiss and allowed his tongue to explore your mouth. You felt his hand moving from your hip up under your shirt tracing every curve of your body. You gasped as his soft lips parted from yours and traveled slowly and gently down your neck. But when you looked up and opened his eyes you saw something that had not been in the Room of Requirement before the two of you started kissing.<br>"Draco Malfoy, I said kiss!" you exclaimed and he immediately jumped back looking surprised.  
>"What?" he asked with a disappointed look on his face that you had ended the fun. You raised an eyebrow at him and pointed to the large bed behind you, covered with red satin sheets and heart shaped pillows. "Oh erm- Oh come on I can't help it, I'm a seventeen year old guy!" he said with a shrug, "Besides how do I know you weren't thinking it too, huh?" he questioned suspiciously with an impish grin on his face.<br>"You wish" you replied rolling your eyes and turning around to pick up your bag. Little did he know you were just trying to hide your face so he couldn't see you blushing beat red, you had been thinking the same thing...

"I don't want to go to Potions..." Harry moaned as you, he, and Blaise stopped outside the dungeon classroom door.  
>"Believe me none of us do mate, but you got to suck it up and bit the bullet" you said opening the door and literally pulling Blaise and Harry inside. The three of you took your normal seat toward the back of the room. You had arrived just in time from breakfast, because only a few moments after sitting down Professor Snape came sweeping in.<br>"Turn to page one hundred and thirty-eight and make the potion found on this page" he said shortly. You did as you were told and began to start making your potion, which today happed to be 'Morgana's Revenge'. This was a potion created by a lady named Morgana Arrows back in the late 1800s; she used to get revenge on her enemies, hence the name 'Morgana's Revenge'. The potion makes whoever drinks it become violently ill and vomit for a short period of time.  
>"Ah- this is a fun one" you chuckled quietly remembering the time when you had slipped a little of it into Pansy Parkinson's soup back in your first year.<br>As people began to mix their potions Snape began to patrol the room looking for any non-Slytherin who had made even the slightest mistake so he could humiliate them. He walked up to your desk and stared down into your potions, you cringed knowing your potion was a little too orangey. You were just about to correct it by adding just a pinch more of unicorn horn, but you knew Snape loved any chance to have a go at you. He smiled his upper lip curling with satisfaction. "Ah- Miss Darcy I see that the little know-it-all herself has made a mistake" he sneered.  
>"That I did Professor that I did!" you replied, "I just need a little more unicorn horn..." you said as you sprinkled some in, "...and it's perfect!" you exclaimed triumphantly as your potion changed to the correct color.<br>"You are lucky Miss Darcy, but I am afraid that I am going to have to take of points for your prior negligence" he said in an almost giddy voice.  
>"WHAT?" you yelled feeling outraged, "That is unfair and you bloody know it!"<br>"Talking back to the professor, I'd say that equals a week's detention" he said with a wicked grin.  
>"What? Are you completely mental?" you asked in exasperation; you were never one to bite your tongue even with the strictest of professors.<br>"And make that forty- no _fifty_ points from Ravenclaw as well! And I will be having a chat with Flitwick about your behavior" he proclaimed earning you numerous glares from surrounding Ravenclaws.  
>"Bloody hell! Why do you hate me so much?" you asked in all seriousness, "I am not my bloody father alright?" you yelled before even stopping to think about what you were saying and who you were saying it in front of.<br>The entire room had gone silent and was waiting for Snape's reaction; he turned slowly to look at you with an unreadable expression on his face. It looked like a mixture of surprise, hatred, and flat out anger. "I never accused you of that Miss Darcy" he hissed.  
>"It isn't my fault what he did to you when you were younger alright? I wasn't even bloody born yet!" your mouth just continued to move, even though your mind was telling you to shut up before you revealed too much to the rest of the class.<br>"OUT OF MY CLASSROOM NOW DARCY!" he yelled looking angrier than you had ever seen him before.  
>"FINE!" you yelled back grabbing up your books and storming out of the dungeon, but to your surprised Snape followed you out into the hall.<p>

"What in the hell were you thinking saying that in front of the whole class?" he hissed when you were out of earshot of the other students.  
>"It's your bloody fault! You drove me to it!" you responded defensively.<br>"You have no idea what you are talking about girl! I punished you, because you were being out of line and behaving inadequately" he retorted.  
>"You don't knock of points from other people, because their potion was a little too orange for like three seconds! Not even Neville! But me- no me on the other hand, I get a bloody failing grade! It is obvious you hate me Professor, it is as plain as day!" you shouted anger boiling in you.<br>"I do not hate you Miss Darcy" he snapped breaking his eye contact with you.  
>"No you hate my father and all you see when you look at me is him, well look I am not my father okay?" you replied.<br>"I know you are not your father alright? You are nothing like your father" he responded more calmly.  
>"Then what is it?" you asked calming down a great deal now yourself.<br>"Just go Miss Darcy; I have a class to teach" he responded coldly turning away from you.  
>"You know I know, right?" you asked before he could make it back to the classroom.<br>"Know what?" he asked.  
>"I know that you are my godfather, I overheard you and Professor Hollows having a conversation in the hallway one evening" you answered.<br>He gulped as if he was nervous, "It doesn't mean anything... they only chose me, because _He_ wouldn't agree to it". His voice sounded cold and unfeeling, but in his eyes you saw something... it looked like guilt.  
>"I don't blame you for being stuck in the foster homes you know, Dumbledore explained everything to me" you said.<br>He didn't answer for a long time; he instead just stared at you with a somewhat confused expression on his face. "I did want to take you in Anna, I always wanted a child..." he sighed finally breaking the silence. You looked at him in complete disbelief, had he just called you Anna? You had never before heard him call you by your first name.  
>"It was too dangerous, you would have been putting my life in peril" you replied remembering Dumbledore's words. "I don't blame you for anything, I just wish you, my godfather, didn't hate me so much" you finished.<br>"I do not hate you, as I have already said" he countered sounding sincere this time. "You will not be serving any detentions, just please go" he mumbled turning away from you for good and slamming the dungeon door shut.  
>"So much for that..." you muttered turning away from the classroom, you had gotten close to cracking the cold outer shell of Severus Snape, and just like that he put his guard up again. You were thankful that you at least didn't have to serve any detentions though, especially with Draco's birthday that week.<p>

"What the hell was that all about?" Harry inquired as he sat down across from you at lunch.  
>"Nothing... long story" you muttered picking up a sandwich and taking a bite.<br>"It was obviously something" Blaise said sitting down beside Harry, "Snape looked like he was going to bloody cry when he got back! And you two were out there for like twenty minutes!" he exclaimed.  
>"Yeah, well we broke up" you said sarcastically, rolling your eyes at both of the boys.<br>"Come on seriously Anna, what was that about?" Harry asked curiosity shining in his emerald eyes.  
>"My father wasn't very kind to him when they were younger to say the least, kind of like your father. Anyways I just got sick and tired of him picking on me for something that my father did" you answered.<br>"But I have seen your father, he looks nothing like you" Harry said, "You told Snape that when he looked at you all he could see was your father".  
>"Well I didn't mean it like that... we do share the same name, Darcy" you lied quickly.<br>"I guess" Harry said with a shrug, "Why didn't they get along? Your father seems like the nicest guy on the planet to me" he laughed.  
>"Well people change, I guess he was a little bugger during school" you replied, avoiding eye contact so Harry couldn't tell you were making everything up.<br>"Just like my dad" Harry said with a sort of sad smile, it pained you to see how much he missed his parents... how much he wished he could have known them.  
>"Yeah well I got out of detention anyways" you said trying to change the subject, "Still got fifty points docked though, those damn whores are still staring at me" you said referring to Padma, Stacey, and Jane who were glaring at you from across the Ravenclaw table. "It is not going to be pretty at dinner tonight" you chuckled.<br>"What do you mean?" Blaise questioned.  
>"Well mate, I nicked some of Morgana's Revenge" you said with a wink...<p> 


	23. Chapter 23

You were doubled over with laughter while tears streamed down your face. The only thing keeping you from falling over on to the ground laughing was Blaise's arms around you waist supporting you, as he laughed just as hard. Actually the only person not laughing as you and the gang walked out into the hallway was Hermione who looked very upset.  
>"I cannot believe your immaturity Anna! Do you know how much trouble you could get in? Making other students sick and <em>stealing<em> potions from Snape" Hermione lectured. 

You tried to reply, but you were still laughing too hard to say anything. The look on Padma's face after she took the first sip of her soup was absolutely priceless. Her face turned green and she leaned over to Jane for help to only succeed in vomiting all over her. You could still here Jane screeching and running away from the table as Padma continued to spew in every direction while all the Gryffindors and Slytherins broke out into amused laughter. It was the first time the two houses had ever actually agreed on something. 

"Oh come on Herms" you gasped between breaths, "I did a good thing tonight".  
>"Oh really and why is that?" Harry laughed.<br>"I brought together two houses, my friends! Even if it was only for those few brief minutes, Slytherin and Gryffindor were united tonight as they both laughed _together_ instead at each other for once!" you declared.  
>"See, Hermione, Anna did a good deed tonight!" Blaise proclaimed. Hermione didn't answer; she just rolled her eyes at all of you.<br>"Anyways let's change the subject!" you suggested at the scary expression on Hermione's face.  
>"How about Quidditch? How is your team looking this year Anna?" Harry asked curiously.<br>"We are alright" you replied with a shrug.

You had been elected as captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and were responsible for putting together the new team. Even though you had managed to find some decent replacements for Lauren, Cho, Freddie, and Roger the team wasn't the same. Cho, though you never liked to admit it, was a pretty good seeker, your new seeker Remy Lewis was good, but he just didn't meet the old standard. Your old keeper Lauren Edwards was amazing, but your new one was a second year named Melanie Morris, had potential, but was a tad young and inexperienced. Also you, Freddie, and Roger had worked perfectly together, almost as if you could read each others' minds. Your two new chasers, Molly Beckham and Kevin Larson were good, but still weren't able to really work well together. You hadn't given up hope just yet though, since you had only two practices together, hopefully things would improve. At least you still had your two beaters, Adam and Michael. 

"Yeah I know how it feels" Harry mumbled, he had been designated captain too and was feeling the same way. Gryffindor had lost star keeper Oliver Wood who had been replaced by Ron Weasley, who, according to rumours, wasn't very good. Beaters Fred and George Weasley also had to be replaced, as well as the chasers Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell. He had some hard work ahead of him too. 

"Looks like the cup might not go to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor this year" you sighed. Last year Ravenclaw team had won the Quidditch cup after a heated match against the Gryffindor team in the championships.  
>"Yeah, looks like it might be Slytherin this year" Ron muttered angrily. "Malfoy is captain and I heard he is working them hard, it also helps that the only person they had to replace was Marcus Flint".<br>"We mustn't give up hope" Luna said in her airy voice, "I am sure Harry and Anna can whip their teams into shape".  
>"Let's hope so Luna..." you mumbled.<p>

"Alright everyone I am going to be completely honest with you all right now. We are not nearly good enough at the moment to win our first match Slytherin next weekend. They are strong this year; yes the rumours are unfortunately true. Malfoy is a bloody good captain and they have a talented team though I hate to admit it. And they have a new chaser, her name is Ruby Pickford, and you know she must be pretty damn good if they put her on the team. She is the first girl in years! They play dirty and they play tough, but if we work hard enough we can manage... I know we can" you said confidently. 

"Here, here!" Adam and Michael shouted from the group with grins on their faces. They had been acting a lot nicer toward you since you won the championship last year and you thought you even saw them laughing when Padma got her first taste of Morgana's Revenge. 

"Now that is the spirit! Melanie, I have bewitched some quaffles to fly toward the hoops, so you can go do that" you said and Melanie flew off. "Remy you can go release and practice catching the snitch, work on your dives they need some improvement" you said and Remy nodded before walking off toward the shed. "Adam and Michael release the bludgers and take some target practice" you ordered, "And we chasers are going to practice working together. When it was Freddie, Roger, and I, we worked like clockwork; we knew what each other was thinking. All passes must be perfect and precise, all shots must be strong and straight on, and you need to dive and dodge like there is no tomorrow, understand? Now we are going to work on some of these plays until are legs give out!" you declared. 

Molly and Kevin nodded enthusiastically at you words and readily mounted their brooms. You could tell that they were motivated and ready to do whatever it took to bring glory to Ravenclaw for a second year in the row.

"DODGE AND DUCK!" you yelled out to Molly and Kevin, Molly dived down under you and Kevin fell back. You pretended to drop the ball and Molly swept up and caught it and proceeded to toss it backwards over her head to Kevin who sped straight down the centre of the pitch toward the three hoops.

"SQUARE!" you yelled and he tossed it to the side throwing your keeper off guard and you tossed it easily into the far right hoop. 

"That was bloody incredible!" you exclaimed clapping blissfully on your broom. You flew up and gave both Molly and Kevin high fives.  
>"We might just stand a chance after all huh?" Molly asked optimistically.<br>"I am starting to think we do!" you said happily.  
>"Not if I can't block a single shot taken on me..." Melanie mumbled sadly floating over to you.<br>"Don't let it get you down Mel, you are doing fine" you assured her patting her comfortingly on the back. "You are just new to all this, you'll get used to it. I'll do some extra practice with you if you want" you offered.  
>"Oh would you Anna?" she asked cheering up dramatically, her large baby blue eyes twinkling.<br>"Of course" you replied to the young girl, "Saturday and Sunday morning around 7:00am sound good?" you asked. You really liked the young girl, because she reminded you of yourself when you were that age, so you didn't mind getting up early on the weekends to help her out. Plus you really wanted to win for your last year at Hogwarts.  
>"Great!" Melanie squealed.<br>"Mind if I come too? I need to practice catching this damn thing" Remy said holding out the snitch that he had just caught. He was getting considerably better and he didn't really need the extra practice, but you knew he was offering to go, because he had a little crush on Melanie. You could see it in his eyes when he looked at her.  
>"Sure Remy" you agreed. "Well that is all for tonight guys, brilliant practice! I am really proud of you all, let's keep it up alright? Hands in!" you ordered and everyone flew into a circle and placed their hands on top of one another.<br>"Ravenclaw on three! One... two... three... RAVENCLAW!" everyone yelled.  
>"Now hit the showers!" you yelled and everyone touched down to the ground and began to walk over to the locker room doors on the right side of the pitch. <p>

"You are doing a brilliant job as captain" Adam said walking beside you. Adam was a good looking kid who was at least a foot taller than you, with long shaggy blonde hair, light freckles, and shining blue eyes.  
>"You really are, I got to admit I was a little buggered when I didn't get it, but you are really getting them motivated" Michael Corner added pointing to the rookies in front of you. He was Adam's best friend; the two were almost like brothers, which made them work well together as the beaters. Michael was good looking too with tan skin, copper brown hair, and extremely dark brown eyes. He had replaced Roger Davies for the most worshipped Ravenclaw that year. <p>

"Well they have the talent they just need to sharpen up their skills a bit" you said.  
>The two boys both nodded in agreement, "Well we actually might not make fools of ourselves in front of the Slytherins next weekend" Adam said cheerfully.<br>"Aye, we better not!" you laughed, but inside you felt a little nervous about the game. You hoped your team could hold up to the Slytherins, they were tough and you didn't know if your newbies were ready to handle it just yet.

"Where are we going Anna?" Draco asked again as you led him out of Hogwarts. You had tied a bandana around his eyes, so he couldn't see where you were leading him.  
>"You will see soon enough!" you replied in a singsong voice as you neared the Womping Willow. You picked up a rock and accurately threw it at the knot, '<em>that's chaser skill right there<em>' you thought to yourself.

"Come on now" you said putting your hand in his and pulling him down the secret pathway.  
>"Where in bloody hell are we?" he asked apprehensively as you led him into the underground tunnel.<br>"Don't worry your pretty little head there, birthday boy, I won't let you get hurt" you assured him light-heartedly as you reached the end of the tunnel. You lead him carefully up through the trap door and into the Shrieking Shack.

"Happy Birthday!" you exclaimed pulling the bandana off of his eyes.  
>He looked around at the peeling, spider web covered walls, ripped couches, and dirty floor of the Shrieking Shack with a puzzled expression on his face.<p>

"Um- if you don't mind me asking, where are we?" he asked.  
>You chuckled a little, "The Shrieking Shack, of course" you answered.<br>"We are in the Shrieking Shack?" he asked in disbelief, "B-but this is the most haunted place in all of England!" he said suddenly looking nervous.  
>"Don't be a wimp Malfoy, I have been here a million times and I am yet to see anything scary" you teased. "Now come on, Hogsmeade awaits us my friend!" you exclaimed, "Plus my present" you said patting your book bag showing the present was inside.<br>"_Ooh_ me like presents" he said as you took his hand and pulled him out into Hogsmeade for his birthday celebration.


	24. Chapter 24

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"So where would you like to go first?" you asked him as two of you walked down the narrow, busy streets of Hogsmeade hand in hand.<br>"That depends, where would you like to go?" he asked sweetly.  
>"Oh no! This is <em>your<em> day not mine! So I'll ask again, where would _you_ like to go first?" you inquired again.  
>"Alright, well the Quidditch Supply Shop I suppose. I heard there is a new book out by Marlin Baker, the seeker for Norway" Draco finally answered.<br>"Then off we go!" you exclaimed pulling him up into the rather large store lined with dozens of different brooms, loads of beater bats, quaffles, snitches, bludgers, padding, books, practice robes, and anything else you could think of that had anything to do with Quidditch.

"I am going to look around a bit, I need to find some new gear for our keeper; she is much more petite than Lauren was. Want to meet up at the register in… I don't know… a half hour or so?" you suggested.  
>"Sounds good to me" he agreed kissing you on the cheek before disappearing behind a rather large shelf lined with at least hundred books about Quidditch.<p>

You smiled and headed off toward the end of the store where all the padding, such as arm shields, shin guards, and gloves were located. You were browsing through some of the keeper gloves when you felt someone tap you on the shoulder.

"Looking for keeper gear, eh? To be honest I always thought you were brilliant chaser though" a deep, Scottish accent chuckled lightly behind you. Your stomach churned as you took in a deep breath knowing very well who was standing behind you.

You slowly made yourself turn around to see Oliver Wood standing there smiling at you; his chocolate brown eyes sparkling.

"H-hello Oliver" you stuttered nervously, you hadn't spoken to him once, even in letters, or actually seen him since the _incident_ that summer.  
>"It is nice to see you Anna, as beautiful as you always were. I have really missed you" he said kindly leaning over and hugging you tightly. You hugged back, but only very lightly feeling a little uncomfortable under the awkward circumstances.<br>"Yeah, it is nice to see you too Oliver" you said softly.  
>"How have you been doing lately? School going alright?" he asked.<br>"Oh I have been good, thanks. School is pretty much the same, how about you? Everything going well in Scotland?" you answered politely.  
>"Yeah, just picking up some new gear for our big match this weekend. Puddlemere against Chudley should be a good game" he answered. "What are you doing here by the way; I didn't think there was Hogwarts trip today".<br>"Well there um- there isn't" you admitted twiddling your thumbs behind your back nervously; part of you was worried Oliver might turn you into Dumbledore, especially if he saw who you were here with.  
>To your relief he laughed, "Still the same old Anna Darcy I see" he said with an affectionate smile.<br>"That's right" you replied with a mischievous smirk.  
>"I am glad, I was always quite fond of her" he laughed, "So anyways why are you looking at Keeper gear?" he asked curiously, "Took up a new position did you?"<br>"Nope I am a Chaser at heart through and through!" you exclaimed, "We got a new keeper though this year, she is only in her second year, so she is a lot smaller than Lauren was. I have to get her some new gear" you explained.  
>"Oh so is that why you snuck out here, for the good of the team?" he asked.<br>"Erm- well no" you stammered as you searched for the right words, "I am here with someone else, it is his birthday today" you finally managed to get out.  
>"Someone else, huh? Like a boyfriend?" Oliver asked coldly.<br>"Um- yeah… I guess you could say that" you mumbled as you reached up to tuck a few loose strands of your hair out of your face and behind your ear.  
>As you did this, the store light caught the silver, ruby-eyed snake ring on your finger that occupied to spot where Oliver's ring used to be. He looked at it intently with a sad and wounded expression on his face.<p>

"I guess you really have replaced me then" he mumbled with such sadness in his voice that it broke your heart.  
>You quickly tucked your hand into your pocket, so as to hide the ring from sight. "I am sorry Oliver, I- I fell in love with someone else" you sighed, knowing he needed to hear the truth so maybe he could finally let you go and move on.<br>"Who? Blaise? I bet its Blaise..." Oliver trailed off looking very upset.  
>"N-no it isn't Blaise" you answered, "Names aren't important".<br>"Fine, don't tell me, but what did you do with my ring? Throw it into the lake?" he asked callously.  
>"No erm- I have it here in my pocket" you said reaching into your robe pocket and pulling it out. You had put it in there when you received Draco's ring and never bothered taking it out. "You should take it back" you said holding your hand out to him with the ring in the center of your palm.<br>"You keep it in your pocket, huh? It looks like you are still holding on to something about me. Keep it" he said closing your fingers over the ring, "Remember me, you just might change your mind someday" he whispered.  
>"I have to um- go, I really am sorry Oliver. It was nice to see you again" you said before kissing him swiftly on the cheek. You trotted off away from him holding the keeper gloves in your hand while stuffing the ring back in your pocket, you felt tears welling up in your eyes, but you fought your hardest to keep them from falling.<p>

"Hey Anna, find everything you need?" Draco asked as you reached the register, you were thankful to see that he had already paid for his items.  
>"Erm- yeah" you answered putting the gloves down and hastily paying the cashier. After handed you your bag you grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him hurriedly out of the shop and down the road.<br>"What is the big hurry?" Draco laughed stumbling behind you.  
>"Nothing I just saw someone I knew in there, I didn't want them ratting us out to Dumbledore" you lied.<br>"Are you sure Anna? You look a little distraught" Draco said his voice filled with concern.  
>"Yeah I'm sure" you answered.<br>Draco didn't look entirely convinced, but nodded showing he accepted your answer. "So where are we off to now my lady?" he asked.  
>"Anywhere you want to go my darling" you replied.<br>"Alright then I say we hit up Honeydukes and Zonko's first" Draco suggested.  
>"Then I have a little something planned" you said with a bright smile, forgetting all about your encounter with Oliver. Draco had that effect on you, you were so happy when you were with him that all the bad just seemed to fade away.<p>

The two of you headed in to Honeydukes and nearly bought out the whole store's chocolate supply before moving on to Zonko's. Mr. Zonko of course was as thrilled as ever to see you and gave Draco a rather large amount of free merchandise since it was his birthday and he was your boyfriend.  
>"Wow that guy sure loves you" Draco laughed as you exited the store.<br>"Well I _am_ his best customer" you answered in reply, "He likes you too, I can tell".  
>"Only because you like me" he chuckled, "But I am not complaining, look at all this free stuff!" he exclaimed holding up his bag of Zonko's supplies.<br>You laughed before taking his hand in yours again, "Now for my present" you said with a bright smile.

You quickly led him away from the town of Hogsmeade and up a small hill and underneath a large shady oak tree. You stopped here and turned around, from the hill you could look over the entire town of Hogsmeade, you could even see the Hogwarts Castle in the far distance. It was an exquisite location that you, Ron, Harry and Hermione discovered during your third year.  
>"Wow what a view" Draco said in awe as he looked over the scene in front of him.<br>"Isn't it? Found it during third year" you said as you pulled a blanket out of your book bag and rested it on to the grass neatly. You then proceeded to pull out a box of food; your knapsack was enchanted to hold as many items as you wanted without filling up or going over a certain weight limit.  
>"Ah so we are having a picnic then?" Draco said as you sat yourself down on the blanket.<br>"That's right" you replied throwing Draco a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from the picnic basket. "I made them myself you know, the muggle way!" you declared proudly.  
>"Wow I am impressed" he laughed taking a cautious bite from the sandwich, "Hey this is actually good!" he exclaimed taking another bite.<br>"You need to have more faith in me Mr. Malfoy" you said shaking your head at him. He smiled at you and slowly moved his hand so it was resting on top of yours, making butterflies appear in your stomach. You both ate your lunch, while just talking and laughing together. You could never remember feeling so perfect, or _right_ in your life. You always seemed to feel that way when you were with him, like this was meant to be. You wondered if he ever felt the same way...

When you both finished your lunch, you tucked the trash away into the basket before once more reaching into your book bag. "Now for my present" you said pulling out a nicely wrapped rectangular box.  
>"Oh, but you have already given me so much today" he said looking a little uncertain.<br>"Just one more thing" you said tossing it to him.  
>He smiled affectionately at you before carefully ripping open the silver wrapping paper. He threw the wrapping paper aside and his eyes widened as they fell upon the gift you had gotten for him. It was a small leather bound journal adorned with gold on the edges. It had the Slytherin crest on the front and underneath it read '<strong>Draco Malfoy<strong>' in bold letters.  
>"Wow Anna... it's great" he said flipping through the blank pages.<br>"Well you have a lot of thoughts in that head of yours, I thought you just might like a place to put them all" you laughed, happy that he apparently liked your present, you had been a little nervous about giving it to him. "It is enchanted so it never runs out of paper and the very last page is special" you said with a smile, "If you write on it the words will appear in the last page of my journal, so we can talk even when we are far away".  
>"Anna this really is great, I could not have asked for a better gift" he said sweetly. He put the journal down gently and cupped your cheek in his hand. He leaned over and slowly pressed his lips up against yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck and he placed his hands on your hip and lower back. He pulled you closer to him and you felt his tongue enter your mouth as the kiss deepened. He slowly leaned over until you were lying on your back with him on top of you; he kissed your neck gently making you moan a little at the wonderful feeling.<br>"You- are- the- most- beautiful- girl- I have- ever met" he whispered in between kisses. You smiled and brought his lips up to yours again in a thank you. You felt his hand slowly begin to make its way up from your thigh to under your shirt. He traced your every outline, like his hands were painting a picture. He began to do undo your buttons one by one when you stopped him.

"We should be getting back..." you whispered sadly, "Before someone notices we are missing".  
>A look of disappointment swept over his face and you had to admit you were feeling the same way, but you didn't want to get yourself expelled from Hogwarts during you very last year. "Yeah, I guess you are right" he sighed.<br>"Another time" you said squeezing his hand and flashing him a suggestive smirk.  
>"Another time" he replied with a wink before helping you up off the ground. "You erm- might want to fix your hair a bit before we go back, I got a little excited" he laughed.<br>You curiously took a small hand mirror out of your pocket and laughed at loud at the complete mess that currently was your hair. It was sticking out in odd directions and was _almost_ as frizzy as Hermione's. You straightened it out with your fingers until it looked halfway normal again. "There that should be alright, huh?" you asked.  
>"You look beautiful" he replied making you blush slightly. The two of you packed up all your things before walking back to Hogsmeade. Draco had his arm draped around your shoulder and you had your wrapped around his waist. "I think this has to be the best birthday I have ever had" he said.<br>"Really?" you asked a little taken aback.  
>"Really, what could be better than spending the day with the most amazing girl at Hogwarts, or anywhere else in the world for that matter" he replied.<br>"You flatter me Draco" you laughed kissing him on the cheek, "Can't say that I mind though".  
>"It isn't flattery Anna; I honestly have never been affected by someone the way I have been by you. When I am with you… there is just this overwhelming feeling like this is where I am supposed to be, like this is just… right." he explained.<br>"I feel that way when I am with you too Draco" you answered sincerely, and he could see the honesty in your honey brown eyes when you looked at him.  
>"Anna- I have been trying to say this for a while and you don't need to say it back if you d-don't want to- but I uh- I um-" he stumble nervously over his words.<br>Knowing what he was trying to say, you whispered in his ear, "I love you too Draco."


	25. Chapter 25

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"Hey there Mel" you greeted kindly as the small second year walked over to you. Her long, silky brown locks were tied back tightly in a dark blue hair ribbon, her baby blue eyes were shining and she was smiling from ear to ear. "Good to see you too Remy" you said to the third year boy beside her. He was slightly taller than her, but not by much with shaggy sandy blonde hair and dark green eyes.<br>"Hey Anna!" they both greeted.  
>"Okay Remy, you can go release the snitch and practice with that. If you need any help or have any questions I am more than happy to answer them, almost considered being a seeker myself once" you said.<br>"I am surprised that you're not, you are built like a seeker" Remy said, "Small and fast".  
>"I was never patient enough though to keep flying around the field just looking and looking..." you explained with a small chuckle, "But I am happy to help you out with some dives".<br>"Sounds good! See you later Mel" Remy said blushing a little as the young girl smiled at him before he trotted off toward the broom shed where the balls were kept.  
>"He has got quite the crush on you hasn't he?" you laughed when he was out of hearing range.<br>"You think?" she asked hopefully, "I have been trying to get him to ask me out since the beginning of the year" she giggled her cheeks turning pink.  
>"I don't think you will need to wait too much longer" you replied with a wink, "Anyways let's get started. I am going to take some shots on you and give you some tips every now and then alright?" you asked.<br>"Yup" she replied before taking her spot in front of the hoop.

You mounted your Nimbus 2001, the broom Draco had given you last year, and flew up with the quaffle in hand. You flew straight toward her and then dived at the last second before proceeding to toss it easily into the hoop from underneath her.  
>"Okay that little trick there is called 'Dusty's Drop". Dusty Donnelly of the Ireland team invented it back in 1988. This is a pretty come fake, but luckily it easy to spot if you know what you are looking for" you began. "The chaser will come flying straight toward you as I did, but you will notice them holding the quaffle low like this" you demonstrated, "So they can easily flick up into the hoop when they drop, so what you need to do is drop with them..."<br>The two of you continued like this for about two hours and she was really beginning to make some great progress. You were confident that she would be able to hold her own in the Slytherin match coming up.  
>"Well that is all for now" you said as the three of you touched down on to the ground. "I am bloody starving, I don't know about you two" you laughed, it was now 9:00 and you hadn't had breakfast yet, when you were used to eating at around 7:30. "Mel you are really looking great out there and you too Remy, I'll see you both at the game tomorrow! Make sure to eat, eat well and get some sleep" you lectured.<br>"Aye, aye Cap'n!" they both responded in unison as they saluted you.  
>You laughed, but your laughs were cut short when you saw a wave of silver and green approaching the middle of the field.<p>

"Get your scrawny ass off the field Darcy, we have practice" Ruby Pickford, a sixth year Slytherin girl with an attitude like you had never seen before, sneered. She had long, stringy dark brown hair, cold gray eyes, and a smirk constantly on her face. She was also the new chaser on the Slytherin team.  
>"Shut your pie hole Pickford, we were just leaving" you spat back as you grabbed Mel's arm protectively and began to lead her and Remy off the pitch.<br>"I see you are taking toddlers on your team now Darcy, are you that desperate?" Argus Arrows, the keeper, sniggered.  
>"Shut up Arrows and leave her alone" Blaise said defensively sticking up for you.<br>"Why don't you shut up you filthy mudblood lover, you pitiful excuse for a Slytherin" Argus shot back.  
>"Why don't you both shut up?" Draco yelled looking very fed up. "They are leaving and we are starting, now everyone to your positions!" he demanded taking his role as captain and they also promptly stopped arguing and flew off. Except for Blaise who made to walk over toward you, "That means you too Zabini" Draco snapped, a look of anger spread across Blaise's face, but he obeyed and flew off into the sky. "I am sorry about that" Draco apologized quietly as he walked over to you.<br>"Don't worry about, it isn't the first time I have been verbally attacked by Slytherins" you laughed, "I'll see you later" you said before smiling and walking off.  
>"You are friends with <em>him<em>?" Remy asked in disbelief as the three of you walked back.  
>"Not all Slytherins are bad Remy, most of them are yes. But not all of them..." you replied.<p>

That afternoon at lunch instead of sitting at your usual spot at the Gryffindor table you were seated in between Michael and Adam at the Ravenclaw table. Mel and Remy were sitting across from you as well as the two other chasers Molly and Kevin. You were all staring nervously at your uneaten food; the anxiety about your match against Slytherin in just one hour had gotten the best of you all.  
>"Guys, we are going to be fine" you assured them trying to sound confident, but your voice was faltering. "We have got to eat something" you said taking the first bite of your tuna fish sandwich. Your appetite seldom escaped you, which showed just how nervous you truly were.<br>"I am scared Anna, I heard the Slytherins talking last night in the library" Mel said trembling, "They said- they said they were going to knock us all off our brooms".  
>"I wouldn't be surprised" Adam said with a shrug, "They almost sent Anna flying to her doom last time we played them" he laughed.<br>"Oh Merlin, don't remind me of that" you said shuddering at the memory. "I wouldn't worry Mel, Crabbe and Goyle don't aim at keepers".  
>"Yeah, but they aim at chasers" Molly muttered with fear in her eyes.<br>"As long as you can evade their bludgers and the occasional illegal swing of their bats you will be just fine, it is the chasers who are going to try knocking you off your broom. Blaise won't hurt anyone and Ruby is a twig, so they only one you have to be cautious of is Matthias" you responded feeling a little more confident as you talked. You felt a lot better knowing that Flint would not be around deliberately trying to send you flying off your broom the entire match. Molly and Kevin both nodded looking like they felt a little better; Molly even forced down a slice of buttered bread.  
>"Okay guys we should probably head down to the locker rooms" Adam spoke out looking down at his watch.<br>"Yeah Adam is right, let's get going" you agreed standing up and motioning the others to do the same.  
>"ANNA!" a voice called out behind you just as you reached the exit doors of the Great Hall. You turned around to see Harry jogging over to you, he had on Ravenclaw colors. "I just wanted to say good luck out there, kick some Slytherin ass okay?" he said with a smile as he pulled you into a tight hug.<br>"Thanks mate, I have a feeling we are going need it..." you sighed.

You stepped out into the center of the pitch where Draco was already standing as well as Madame Hooch with the quaffle in hand and whistle at ready. "Captains please shake hands" she ordered. You and Draco took each other's hands; he squeezed yours gently and gave you a small wink, so no one else could see. You had to do your best not to smile or blush, but to keep a stern look on your face. "Now I want a fair game" she said firmly casting the Slytherins a warning glare. "Okay the game starts on my whistle" Hooch announced and before you knew it the shrill sound of the whistle echoed through the stadium and the quaffle was up in the air.  
>You kicked off on your black and green Nimbus 2001, with your wavy, dirty blonde ponytail flailing behind you. You grasped the quaffle steadily in your arms; there was rarely a game where you didn't catch the quaffle first. You immediately sped down the field leaving the burly, broad-shouldered chaser Matthias in the dust. Out of the corner of your eye you could see Blaise approaching you rapidly. You suddenly slammed on the break and stopped flying, sending Blaise whizzing pass you. You started up again and flew toward the middle of the field, '<em>The old stop and go, works every time<em>' you thought to yourself. You got down the rest of the pitch unchallenged and chucked the quaffle easily past their keeper and through the center hoop.  
>"Nice shot Darcy!" you heard Adam call out as he sent a bludger hurting toward Matthias. The Slytherin keeper picked up the quaffle and tossed it to Ruby who began to barrel down the field. Molly flew toward her and attempted to steal the ball, but she was easily beaten. Ruby played very much like you, she was swift and tricky.<br>You shot toward her, but were stopped when Crabbe's bat swung out and against your stomach knocking the wind right out of you. "THE DAMN BAT IS FOR HITTING BLUDGERS YOU DIMWIT!" you thundered as loud as you could while so out of breath.  
>"THAT IS A BLOODY FOUL! CRABBE SWUNG HIS BAT RIGHT AT HER!" you heard Seamus Finnigan's, who had become the new announcer, voice bellow from the stands. While this was all going on Ruby had managed to get all the way down the field where she easily scored on Mel. You didn't let it get you down though; you flew toward Mel and caught her pass to you. Molly and Kevin were both being guarded, so you took the ball down yourself. You ducked down quickly and a bludger whizzed right over your head.<br>"Where you at Corner?" you yelled over your shoulder to Michael, desperate for some protection from the constant bludgers hurtling by you much too close for comfort. Suddenly Michael appeared by your side and began smacking every bludger that came near you giving you a clear path down the field; you had almost reached the hoop when you felt yourself being ripped back by your hair. "BLOODY HELL!" you yelled out as you were pulled of your broom, Michael heard your scream and grabbed you quickly and steadied you on your broom. You turned to see Ruby floating behind you with a smirk on her face.  
>"PENALTY ON SLYTHERIN! PENALTY!" Madame Hooch yelled looking exasperated. You nodded and took the quaffle easily making your penalty shot.<br>The game went on for just about two hours without any sign of the snitch and the score was locked at 110-110. You were battered, bruised, and bloody by this point, as were Molly and Kevin. Your stomach and back were black and blue, and there were bruises embellishing each of your arms thanks to Crabbe and Goyle's bats. Your arm was gushing blood where Ruby had scratched you with her claw-like nails and your head was pounding from having your hair pulled so many times. Ruby had hardly left your side the entire game and it was obvious that she was purposely picking on you.  
>"BACK OFF PICKFORD, FORGET DARCY AND GET THE DAMN QUAFFLE!" you heard Draco yell at her from above where he and Remy had been circling fruitlessly for hours. Unfortunately she didn't listen to his order and stuck to you even closer than before. After another hour of dealing with Ruby you lost it. You dived away from her and caught a well-thrown pass from Molly and began to take it down the pitch. Ruby of course followed after you speedily, but you had hoped she would. You stopped abruptly and began to speed down toward the ground and again to your happiness she followed after you, not about to let you get the better of her. You hurtled toward the ground until you were only mere feet away from plunging into the dirt, at the last second you turned up and flew forward your feet scraping the ground. This sudden move caught Ruby off guard and she was unable to pull up in time, she went crashing down into the ground violently and rolled across the grass.<br>"DARCY FAKES PICKFORD OUT! THAT MOVE RIGHT THERE IS CALLED PAULIES PLUMMET FOLKS! PICKFORD IS ON THE GROUND, APPEARS TO BE KNOCKED OUT COLD" Seamus' voice ran through the stadium. You stopped flying and looked back to see Ruby sprawled out on the ground apparently unconscious. You dived down next to her and slowly tried to shake her awake; you felt guilty tears welling up in your eyes. You had by no means really intended on hurting the girl that bad.  
>Suddenly the audience broke out into an explosion of cheers and boos, you looked to see the students dress in blue and silver clapping and hooting wildly. You then looked up to see Adam and Michael patting Remy proudly on the back, Ravenclaw had won. But you didn't care; you looked back down at Ruby desperately trying to wake her up.<p>

"It isn't your fault Anna, she was on you the whole game" someone whispered in your ear and you looked to see Draco next to you.  
>"I didn't mean to hurt her this badly" you mumbled.<br>"I know you didn't" he answered back grasping your hand as Madame Hooch came bustling over.  
>"Don't worry Miss Darcy" she said kindly seeing the horrified, guilty look on your face. "It was a perfectly legal move and her own fault; she went following after you so foolishly. Plus she is just fine, Madame Pomfrey will have her fixed up in a jiff" she said reassuringly.<br>You nodded slowly and discreetly squeezed Draco's hand before walking over to your team. "Awesome job Remy, I wish I could have seen it" you congratulated, while hugging your small seeker tightly.  
>"Thanks Anna! That move you did back there was brilliant by the way, Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks when he saw you going toward the ground and didn't even see the snitch!" Remy exclaimed.<br>"What do you mean Remy?" you asked curiously.  
>"We were both flying around and we heard Seamus yelling about something. We both looked and you were flying toward the ground, I figured you were just doing a fake or something, but he stopped cold. He actually looked kind of worried, but that could have been my imagination" he explained to you with an uncertain shrug.<br>You nodded just as you got pulled up into the air by Michael and swung around, "We won!" he yelled joyously and you smiled weakly; for some reason you weren't as excited as you should have been. Something was nagging you in the back of your mind...


	26. Chapter 26

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"Party in the Ravenclaw Common Room!" Michael yelled out as you all tried to get through the crowds of Ravenclaw fans and into the locker rooms.<br>You finally managed to get inside and changed out of your blue and silver robes. "You coming, Anna? It is going to be a hell of a party!" Adam asked taking your hand in his and trying to pull you out of the locker room.  
>You laughed lightly, "I'll show up later, I promise! I want to take a shower first" you replied.<br>"Alright, but you better show up. I want the best captain the world to be there! I'll save you a dance" he said with a wink before walking out behind Michael.  
>"You were so wonderful Anna! I cannot believe we actually won! And I saved some shots!" Mel exclaimed excitedly running over and hugging you tightly.<br>"You were fantastic Mel, no joke. I am very proud of you" you said putting your hand on the girl's shoulder. She beamed back at you and you couldn't remember ever seeing her look so happy. You had grown quite fond of her over the past few weeks of helping coach her; she was one of the sweetest girls you had ever met - one of those people who would give you the shirt of your back if you wanted it. "Any other reason why you are so happy?" you asked suspiciously.  
>"Maybe..." she giggled, "Remy just asked me to be his girlfriend!" she exclaimed hugging you again.<br>"That's great Mel, you two are adorable together" you laughed, "Now go have some fun at the party, and I will be there in a second" you said. She smiled and hugged you one last time before leaving hand in hand with Remy.

You rolled your eyes at him and walked over to the showers. You turned the water as hot as it got and stepped inside. You let the scalding water wash over your body, trying desperately hard to clear your mind, but it wasn't working. There something in the pit of your stomach, something in the back of your mind that would not leave you alone. The vision of Ruby crashing into the ground played through your mind over and over again. You knew she wasn't dead because she hadn't hit that hard, but you knew she was hurt. But she deserved it didn't she? No one else on your team would have felt this guilty if they had been responsible, they probably would have been bloody proud of themselves. '_It is because you're weak_' you thought to yourself. You, Anna Darcy, as much as you tried to hide it did in fact have a weakness. You didn't want to hurt people, you couldn't hurt people. You weren't sure if given the chance you could even harm your mother, the lady who tried to kill you as a baby.  
>So much was riding on you in this war and you knew it. The prophecy said that Harry and Voldemort would both bow to you in the end in fear, in fear of what? It isn't like you could even hurt either of them? Would you even be able to help Harry or would you be his downfall? What would you do if you and your friends in the DA were up against a gang of Death Eaters? Could you fight them off? Could you help defend your friends or would you stand there useless?<br>You came out of the shower with a splitting headache, '_Just stop overanalyzing things Anna_' you told yourself as you tried to push these thoughts out of your mind. You quickly dried and brushed your hair before changing into a pair of jeans and a black pullover sweatshirt.  
>You took a deep breath and walked out of the locker into the cold air of that November night. You squinted through the darkness as you made your way back to Hogwarts, you must have been in the shower longer than you thought. You knew Dumbledore wouldn't be too pleased if he found out you were wondering about the grounds so late at night. The wind suddenly picked up and whipped your hair out of its ponytail and in front of your eyes making it harder to see. Then all of a sudden you got the eerie feeling like someone was watching you behind the darkness. You went into a sort of panic and began to sprint toward the school not looking where you were going. On the way you stumbled over a tree root protruding from the ground or at least what you thought was a tree root...<p>

"Bugger!" you yelled as you fell hard to the ground face first, you could already feel a bruise forming on your forehead and there was a small trickle of blood dribbling down from your right eyebrow. It wasn't easy, but you pushed yourself up from the ground and began to walk again with sharp pains shooting through your entire body.  
>"Just where do you think you are going my dear?" a foreign voice hissed from behind the darkness. You stopped dead in your tracks as the voice reached your ears; your body had become paralyzed with fear.<br>"I don't think she is going anywhere" another voice laughed cruelly and the other joined in. You could hear their sniggers growing closer with every passing moment. You tried to tell yourself to run away, to kick, to scream, to get out your wand, to do _something_, but your body was frozen.  
>Suddenly you could see the two people who the voices belonged to clearly. One of them was tall and pale with long, greasy, white-blonde hair and cold ice blue eyes, identical to the ones you loved so well... Draco's father. The other was slightly shorter and even paler with long, black hair and cold black eyes. She looked she had been pretty once, but years of torment had drained her of all life. You knew instantly who she was: Bellatrix Lestrange, mommy dearest herself.<br>"Ah- she looks just like Ivan... doesn't she Lucius?" your mother said with a vindictive smirk.  
>"That she does, she has his eyes" Lucius commented.<br>"Yes, yes she does. Which is exactly why we must kill her" she answered back.

'Oh shit... oh shit... do something Anna!' you yelled at yourself as your mother drew closer, but still you could not bring yourself to move or even speak. This was one of the few times Anna Darcy was actually speechless.  
>"So I heard you <em>know<em> my son" Lucius spat at you, "I always knew that boy was an idiot".  
>"He is if he fell for this little Ravenclaw" your mother jeered. "Such a disappointment, I never thought I would have to be so ashamed of my own daughter. Who would have ever thought a Lestrange child to be a blood traitor? It is because those damn Darcy's raised her, well they got their punishment" she said happily.<br>"What do you mean they got their punishment?" you blurted out suddenly, finally finding your voice again.  
>Bellatrix smiled, she had a malevolent, evil smile that made your blood run cold. "It means we killed them dear" she answered in a falsely sweet voice. You experienced anger like you had never felt before boiling up inside of you as she spoke these words. She had killed the people who had become like a mother and father to you. They had taken you in when no one else would and she killed them.<br>"You will pay for that" you hissed at her cutting her and Lucius' laughs short.  
>"Oh I will, will I?" she snorted, "For some reason I highly doubt that my dear Anna Bella".<br>"Can we just kill her now Bella? It is getting cold out here and we need to catch my son before he gives up looking for her and goes back to his Common Room" Lucius spoke up. You whipped your head around at this statement and stared at him intently, did he just say they would have to catch his son next? "That is right my dear, Draco is next. We can't just kill one blood traitor and not the other" he laughed in answer to your unspoken question.  
>"No..." you whispered under your breath. You thought about Draco and his beautiful ice blue eyes, you thought about the day you sat under the oak tree together at Hogsmeade, the nights you spent in the tower, and when you declared your love for one another. You would not let him die, no matter what you had to do. "You will not harm him" you hissed gaining some bravery, but you never were a Gryffindor.<br>A smile cracked on Lucius' lips as you said this; "I think she is in love with my son Bella" he laughed. "Are you in love with my son?" he asked. You didn't answer you just gave him the nastiest look you could muster up.  
>"I believe she does Lucius" your mother snickered.<p>

"And I love her too" another voice joined in and you watched as Draco stepped out of the shadows. He walked over to your side and gripped your hand tightly while holding out his wand in the other. You felt safer when Draco appeared, like nothing could go wrong as long as he was beside you.  
>"Oh isn't this just adorable" your mother laughed, "This is just too perfect Lucius... let us let the two love birds watch each other die shall we?"<br>"BIND!" Lucius yelled in response and ropes wrapped around Draco's body ripping his hand away from yours and making him drop his wand to the ground.  
>Bellatrix smiled and then held out her wand toward you, when yet another voice joined the group.<p>

"Anna? Anna where are you? The party has started!" a young girl's voice called out through the darkness, you knew it was Mel.  
>"MELANIE RUN! GET OUT OF-" you began to scream, but your voice was cut short by a silencing spell from Bellatrix.<br>"Anna? Anna was that you? Are you okay?" the girl's voice came again. Then she appeared, her blue eyes shining and her curly brown locks bouncing at her shoulders.  
>"AVADA KEDAVRA!" your mother bellowed mercilessly and jet of green light hit the girl square in the chest. You watched with your eyes wide in disbelief as the little girl collapsed to the ground lifeless. Your mother had just killed her. She was so innocent, so kind, and so beautiful and she just killed her. You could feel hatred for this wicked woman in front of you becoming stronger as you looked at the poor girl whose life had been cut so short. Just a few moments ago she was ecstatic, because the Ravenclaw team had just won and Remy had asked her out, and now her life was over. "A friend of yours?" she hissed.<br>"You are a horrible person and you will be punished in the end!" you spat for lack of something better to say.  
>"Just ridding the world of some more useless filth." she snapped back. "CRUCIO!" she suddenly screamed out of seemingly nowhere. In an instant you were lifted up off the ground and the most horrifying pain you had ever felt in your life entered you. It felt like every bone in your body was snapping in half, like fire was burning your exposed flesh, like someone had just taken a dagger to your gut. You fell to the ground in a trembling heap with tears pouring from your brown eyes.<br>"NO! STOP IT! STOP IT!" you heard Draco's voice pleading, "TAKE ME INSTEAD!" his voice was cracking with emotion, but Bellatrix didn't listen. She yelled the spell again and again; each time the pain increased even when you thought it could not possibly get any worse. You could literally feel the life slowly draining out of you with each time. Your mind was slowing and the images around you became blurry, very blurry. Soon you could no longer see at all, you could only hear Draco's pleading screams behind you and Lucius and your mother's shrieks of laughter. Then something happened, another voice entered the air, a voice you could not recognize... And everything went black.


	27. Chapter 27

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>You slowly forced your heavy eyelids open, but quickly closed them as the sun coming in through the window stung your sensitive eyes that had become accustomed to the darkness. You turned over on to your other side and once more attempted to open your eyes this time shielding your eyes from the intense sunlight. As your eyes grew slowly but surely more and more used to the brightness you observed your surroundings. You were in a small white bed and there were two empty, identical ones on each side of you. There was a large window with sun streaming through it and four bear white walls. There was a chair beside your bed with a cloak embellished with the Slytherin emblem on the front draped over it.<p>

"Where am I?" you asked out loud even though you were alone in the room. You racked your mind for any idea of where you were or why you were there. You looked back down at the cloak draped over the chair and suddenly the memories of that night came flooding back to you.  
>Draco's pleading screams and your mother's shrieking laughter echoed through your mind and visions of little Melanie lying dead on the ground brought tears to your eyes. But you were still alive, what had happened? How in the world did you escape? You remembered your mother putting you through the Cruciatus curse over and over again until you were on the verge of insanity. Then you remembered something else, the unfamiliar voice that you heard just as the memory ended. You don't know what the voice said or who it belonged to, but for someone reason it comforted you.<p>

A noise came from the other side of the room and you watched as Draco walked in. He was the palest you had ever seen before and there large, dark gray circles under his blue eyes. His hair was messy like he had run his hands through it too many times and his eyes seemed glazed over and distant. You noticed he had an apple in his hand as he sat down on the chair beside your bed not yet noticing you were awake. He brought the apple up to his mouth, but then hastily put it back down and sunk back in the chair; he looked very ill.

"Are you okay Draco?" you whispered; your voice sounding strained and hoarse.  
>He dropped his apple and nearly fell off his chair at the sound of your voice.<p>

"You are awake!" he exclaimed kissing you on the forehead and hugging you tenderly. "I have been so worried about you Anna" he whispered.  
>"Where am I?" you asked propping yourself up on your elbows to get a better look around.<br>"St. Mungo's" he answered sadly, "Bellatrix beat you up pretty bad".  
>"How long have I been out?" you questioned.<br>"Three days, I was going crazy. they weren't sure if you were going to ever wake up" he replied his voice cracking slightly with emotion.  
>"And never see you again? I think not" you responded kissing him innocently on the lips. "What happened after I blacked out? I heard a voice…" you inquired.<br>"Professor Snape showed up" he answered, "He actually stepped in front of you and blocked Bellatrix's last spell, they said we might have lost you if he didn't. Well anyways he fought them off for awhile, but it looked pretty grim until Dumbledore and Hollows showed up too" he finished.  
>"You- you mean Snape saved my life?" you stuttered out in shock.<br>"Yeah I guess he kind of did" Draco answered.  
>"Jeez I really owe that bastard" you mumbled, "He has saved my bloody life twice now".<br>"What did you say?" Draco asked, overhearing your mumbles slightly.  
>"Oh nothing- nothing" you responded. "Are my uh- are the Darcy's-" you started, but you could not bring yourself to finish the question.<br>"Dead" Draco whispered, "They found their bodies shortly after we arrived here".  
>You gulped trying to fight back tears, even though you had been expecting that answer. "Um- what about Melanie, is she really-" you started, but you once more could not finish the question in fear of the answer you knew you would receive.<p>

"She is dead." Draco replied sadly grasping your hand in his, "I am so sorry Anna".

You couldn't help it; tears began to pour down from your eyes at these words. "Shh... I am here now Anna, everything will be okay" he whispered as he sat on the edge of the bed and rocked you gently back and forth in his strong, comforting arms. He kissed your forehead lightly and stroked your wavy, dirty blonde hair.  
>"She- she was so innocent, so pure... She never did anything to them, she wasn't a threat or an enemy and they- they just killed her" you sobbed.<br>"I know Anna, its bloody sickening it is. They just don't care; they will kill anyone who stands in their way even if it is just by accident. They don't spare anyone, not even the most innocent" he said angrily.  
>"I never realized" you said softly, "I never realized that they just killed people like that. I mean I knew they murdered innocent people like the Potters and Sirius Black who never deserved death, but I thought it was because they were their enemies. I thought they killed people, because they were the people they were fighting against, their foes. And they tried to kill Harry and me as babies, because they knew we would be their downfall in the end, but Melanie was just a girl, a mere child who posed them no threat in the slightest! And she just killed her like that without a second thought!" you cried.<br>"It is disgusting Anna, I grew up my entire life watching it happen. My father used to kill the muggle children down the street just for fun" Draco sighed, a pained look coming to his face as he reminisced.

You looked up into Draco's eyes to see they were glossed over with tears. You suddenly felt an overwhelming amount of pity for him; he had to spend his whole life watching the people who he was supposed to care about the most killing innocent people like it was nothing. But he was still here, still strong, still breathing. He still managed to get high grades at school, be captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and to be in a loving relationship. He had gotten through the trauma and you wondered if you could have been so strong and if you could be as strong now when you need to be, you had never respected or admired someone so much than you did Draco at that moment.  
>"I thought they were people fighting for what they thought was right, no matter how terrible I believed it was. But they aren't even people, they are bloody monsters" you said angrily punching your bed in fury. You couldn't even comprehend the idea of people just killing other people for pleasure, it was nauseating. You remembered when you were in the shower after the Quidditch match, you remembered thinking you wouldn't be able to stand up and bring harm to a Death Eater. Now you knew that wasn't true, when your time came to play your part in the prophecy you would be ready for it. When it came time for you and the rest of the DA to rise up, you would be ready for it. You swore from that moment on you would get your revenge on Bellatrix Lestrange and every other Death Eater who had taken the innocent lives of those like Melanie Morris.<p>

The hospital room was very quiet, because Draco had gone off to get you both some lunch from the cafeteria. You were just resting silently on your hospital bed reading one of the books that Harry, Hermione, and the rest of the gang had brought to keep you busy when they visited. They had not been told the details of what happened during the attack or who else was even involved. They were warned by Dumbledore not to press you for any information and you were thankful he did, you were nowhere near ready to reveal to them about the prophecy, your real parents, or about Draco. You actually had never realized how much you were keeping from them before, you wondered how they would take it when they did find everything out and you knew that time was steadily approaching. They did figure out that Draco was mixed up in the situation though, since he was staying the bed beside yours. They all looked pretty suspicious when they saw him, but luckily they did not press you too much about that either. You were amazed how supportive and compassionate they could be though. It probably came from having to deal with this stuff so many times before.

Suddenly you heard the door swing open and you looked up expecting to see Draco holding a tray of food, but to your surprise you saw Roger Davies walk in. He looked older now; his dark brown hair had gotten longer and was pulled back in a ponytail. His skin looked a little paler than before, but his eyes were the same beautiful bright blue color and his teeth still perfectly straight.

"Hey there Anna, have you missed me?" he asked plopping down in the chair next to your bed.  
>"Honestly..." you began with an unsure look on your face, "Of course I have mate!" you finished happily dropping your book and leaning over to hug him. You were thankful for a real distraction; it was so painful to think about your lost foster parents.<br>"How are you feeling? I heard that you were in St. Mungo's at erm- work; Mr. Weasley was talking about it. I was bloody worried about you girl" he said after releasing you from a long, tight hug.  
>"I am feeling alright, I should be out of here in a couple of days. They are just making sure I'm all set before sending me back to school" you replied. "How is work going? You are at the Ministry now?" you asked curiously.<br>"Yeah, just an entry level job. I am working as a file clerk in the Sporting Department, I'm going to school still though so I can get promoted" he said with a bright smile. And for the first time you noticed how tired he looked, he large bags under his eyes and they were somewhat bloodshot.  
>"You alright mate, you look really tired?" you asked feeling a little concerned.<br>"Oh yeah I am fine! I am tired though; I have been busy as hell lately. I have my job at the Ministry, school, and don't let this get out but..." he started looking over his shoulder to make sure no one else could hear him "...I joined the Order" he finished in a whisper.  
>"You did?" you asked in surprise.<br>"Yup" he replied proudly.  
>"So you know everything... about the attack and my parents?" you asked tentatively.<br>"Yeah I do- why didn't you ever tell me about it Anna? You could have trusted me you know" he said looking hurt.  
>"I'm sorry, I know I could have Roger and I do trust you, I just- I never really told anyone. I didn't even want to accept it myself and I didn't want people knowing I was really a Death Eaters daughter" you sighed.<br>"Don't worry about it Anna, I understand" he said gently ruffling your hair like he always used to at Hogwarts.  
>"So when did you sign up for- you know?" you questioned curiously.<br>"Oh, Oliver and I signed up a few months ago" he responded to your inquiry.  
>You gulped involuntarily at the mention of Oliver, "Oliver too huh?" you asked.<br>"Erm- yeah" he answered awkwardly, "We are actually pretty good friends now. He is doing better though after you know what happened between you two over the summer, he even went on a date last night!"  
>"Really? That's good" you said with a smile. "I am happy for him" you added.<br>"I knew you would be" Roger said amiably.  
>"What about you Mr. Davies, any girlfriends?" you asked with a smirk.<br>"Wouldn't you like to know" he replied raising his eyebrows before laughing. "Naw- in truth I really don't have enough time for a girlfriend right now" he admitted. "How about you? Oliver said you had fallen in love with someone else last time I talked to him" Roger said suspiciously.  
>"I well- erm- uh" you garbled, not sure if you should tell Roger about Draco or not. You figured you probably could since he knew about the prophecy about you two.<br>Your murmurs were cut off though when the hospital room door swung open again. "Alright gorgeous, do you want a tuna sandwich or chicken salad sandwich?" Draco asked as he walked in with two trays balanced in his hands; he had yet to notice Roger sitting by your bedside looking confused by his unanticipated appearance.

"Erm- chicken salad sounds good" you answered and he handed you one of the trays, "Thanks".  
>"No problem my love" he laughed kissing you on the forehead and making to sit down in the chair beside your bed only to find himself sitting on Roger's lap. "Bloody hell!" he jumped back up in surprise nearly dropping his lunch tray. "What are <em>you<em> doing here?" he asked.  
>"I came here to visit my friend, what are <em>you<em> doing here? And why are you calling her '_my love_'?" And then he paused to think. "Wait this is the guy who Oliver was talking about? This scumbag?" Roger exclaimed.  
>"Don't call him that Roger! You have heard the prophecy haven't you?" you snapped back.<br>He paused again before responding, "Briefly" he answered, "I wasn't there during the meeting when it was explained completely though. Since I am new and one of the youngest, I don't get to hear everything".  
>"Well you should know this before you go calling Draco a scumbag. He is the other one who is going to help me, the eyes of ice" you explained.<br>"You mean- oh" he said calming down tremendously at these words and looking slightly embarrassed by his explosion. "I erm- I didn't know you were- uh sorry about that Malfoy" Roger said to Draco not making eye contact with him.  
>"Um- that's alright Davies" Draco replied still looking bewildered, he sat down on the edge of your bed and began to nibble on his sandwich.<br>"Well this is awkward" you commented frankly and both the boys laughed nervously, shooting each other awkward glances.  
>"So erm- Roger, how is everyone else doing?" you asked referring to the other students who had graduated along with him the year before.<br>"Well Cho is working as a secretary at the Ministry, I see her when I come in to work" he answered, "Erm- Lauren is seeing George Weasley actually".  
>"Lauren and George?" you blurted out, "I can't believe he didn't tell me!" you laughed.<br>Roger smiled, "Yeah they are pretty smitten. Anyways everyone is doing pretty well" he finished.  
>"What about Freddie? How has he been doing lately? I haven't heard from him since this summer" you said and Roger's expression changed dramatically.<br>"He hasn't talked to any of…" Roger said through gritted teeth, "Bloody traitor" he hissed under his breath, so you could barely hear him.  
>"What are you talking about?" you asked confused.<br>"Anna... Freddie is a Death Eater now."


	28. Chapter 28

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>You stared outside the window of the black carriage at the magnificent Hogwarts castle that was drawing closer and closer. After spending a week in St. Mungo's they had finally allowed you to return back to school. You were excited to be back with all your friends again, but part of you was scared to go back. Freddie had become a Death Eater. He had been one of your best friends at Hogwarts; you thought he was a good person and someone that you could trust. It was like a reality check; it showed you that people aren't always what they seem and trust is a dangerous thing during these dark times. Were all your friends really trustworthy? You knew Harry, Ron, and Hermione would never join the other side, but what about Blaise? He was a Slytherin at heart wasn't he? But he was only in Slytherin, because he wanted revenge on his Death Eater brother. You sighed heavily not knowing what to think anymore.<p>

"You okay Anna?" Draco asked noticing the troubled expression on your face.  
>"Oh yeah I'm fine, I'm just a little nervous about going back that's all. I hope we don't get too many questions thrown at us" you replied.<br>"Wouldn't count on that" Draco sighed, "I'm curious to see what kind of outlandish rumours that they have come up with in our absence" he chuckled.  
>"Yes, that should be <em>interesting<em>" you agreed, "Do we have our story straight?" you asked.  
>"We have gone over this a million times" Draco laughed in exasperation.<br>"Well a million and one times is not going to hurt anyone" you responded firmly nudging him playfully in the ribs.  
>"Okay, okay" Draco gave in, "You were walking back from the Quidditch match and were met by two Death Eaters the names of whom we do not know. I was taking a walk around the lake to clear my head after the match and just happened to stumble into the mess too. And as far as everyone knows we still despise each other" he finished.<br>You looked down at your shoes sadly at the last part, "When do you think we will tell everyone Draco? I mean we can't hide forever" you said.  
>"I have been thinking about that a lot lately" he admitted, "I honestly could care less what the Slytherins think about me anymore, it is you that I am worried about. The other students aren't exactly going to be so open to idea that I have changed for the better. I really don't want your friends to hate you, because of me" he said forlornly.<br>"If they are my friends then they would accept my decision and us being together" you said firmly. "Besides Harry is going to be told about the second prophecy soon according to Dumbledore, once he knows you are actually meant to help him maybe he won't be so cold. And in turn you know he will tell Luna, Hermione, Ron, and Blaise and in truth those are the only people I care about anymore" you said and it was the truth. Other than those five and Draco you really didn't care what anyone else thought about you or whether they hated your guts or not.  
>"Then we should tell them?" Draco questioned still looking a little uncertain.<br>"I love you Draco" you said intertwining your fingers with his, "And I am not going to hide it any longer" you finished.

"Ah Miss Darcy, Mr. Malfoy it is good to see you two again and in good health" Dumbledore greeted as you and Draco exited the carriage and walked up the stairs into Hogwarts still holding each other's hand.  
>"It is good to see you too Headmaster" both you and Draco greeted.<br>"You have been sorely missed Miss Darcy" Dumbledore chuckled, "Mr. Zabini, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter snuck into my office last night and tried to use my fireplace to go and see you. And Miss Granger has not stopped asking about you, I believe I am going considerably deaf in my right ear because of it" he said with a smile.  
>You smiled as well; you could just picture Hermione talking a mile a minute to Dumbledore at the teacher's table during every meal and Blaise, Ron, and Harry crowding under the invisibility cloak and sneaking up Dumbledore's staircase. You even laughed out loud when you visualized the fake innocent expressions on their faces when they got caught.<br>"Yes their expressions were quite amusing when I walked in" Dumbledore said and you swore he could read your mind.  
>"Um- sir can I ask you something?" you said quietly, your voice faltering a little.<br>"Anything my dear" he replied kindly.  
>"Well you said that you would eventually have to tell Harry about the second prophecy and I was wondering when you were planning on doing it?" you asked. You desperately wanted Harry and all the others to know about the prophecy, you wanted to assure Harry that when the moment of truth came and he and the Dark Lord were both bowed before you, that you would not desert him. You also wanted your friends to know that Draco was really on their side, you hoped he could start attending the DA meetings and maybe that they could even learn to accept the love you two had for each other. You were so tired of lying and tired of hiding.<br>"Whenever you two are ready for him to know" Dumbledore answered.  
>"We are ready." both you and Draco answered at once in unison; you looked up and smiled at him.<br>"I see" Dumbledore said with a kind smile on his face and a twinkle in his blue eyes. He looked at the two of you fondly, his eyes travelled to your hands clutching to one another not prepared to let go anytime soon. "I think it is time the secrets start to come out" he said and both you and Draco nodded. "Okay, then please report to my office after you are through with dinner. And Miss Darcy I would appreciate it-" Dumbledore paused and waved his wand making two letters appear "-if you would give these to Mr. Potter and Miss Granger. I am afraid if Miss Granger isn't invited along for this as well she might explode" Dumbledore chortled, handing you the letters.  
>You laughed, "Yeah she probably would" you agreed. You knew how much Hermione hated to be left in the dark when it came to these kinds of things and she was your best friend, also one of the few who already knew the secret about your parents. "I'll make sure they get them" you promised.<br>"Good, good. I will see you then, it should be an _exciting_ meeting" Dumbledore said before smiling at you both once more and walking away.  
>"Yes, exciting indeed" you said quietly as he vanished around the corner.<p>

"Hold on, don't go in there just yet" Draco said pulling you back before you opened the double doors that led into the Great Hall where all the students were eating dinner.  
>"What's wrong?" you asked raising an eyebrow.<br>"I think it would be best if we kept this a secret just one last night, at least until your friends are all filled in. We are going to be getting bombarded with enough questions as it is. I promise you tomorrow we will walk into breakfast hand in hand" he said planting a kiss on your forehead.  
>"Yeah you are right... I'll meet you on the grand staircase tomorrow okay?" you asked.<br>"It's a date" he replied this time kissing you innocently on the lips sending pleasant chills down your spine. "I will go in first okay? Count to twenty and then follow in after me" he said and you nodded in understanding.  
>He smiled and squeezed your hand before walking through the double doors.<p>

You sighed sadly as he left, '_You are so pathetic Anna, two seconds without him and you already miss him_' you thought amusedly to yourself. You counted to twenty like Draco said before opening the double doors and walking into the room yourself. You looked over to see Draco surrounded by a mob of curious Slytherins and many of the other houses were casually leaning over to try and catch what he was saying. You looked over to the Gryffindor table to see all your friends staring intently at Draco, looking nervous. Probably, because you had yet to arrive. You walked all the way over to the table without anyone really noticing you and sat down next to Hermione who jumped in surprise.

"ANNA!" she exclaimed with excitement wrapping her arms around you.  
>"I have missed you too Herms, but it keep it down I don't want everyone noticing me" you said as you hugged her in return.<br>"Oh right, gotcha" Hermione whispered.  
>"You had me worried sick young lady!" Ron exclaimed waving his finger at you doing a fantastic impression of his mother that made you giggle.<br>"That was pretty high-quality impression there Ron" you laughed hugging him.  
>"Thanks, I have been working on it! Still has some perfecting to be done though" he replied. You laughed and shook your head at him before hugging Harry, Luna, and Blaise.<br>"So how are you feeling?" Hermione asked as you all settled down, thankfully everyone was so focused on Draco they had yet to really see you. You were lucky that Draco had chosen to go in first.  
>"Good, just happy to be out of that hospital room" you replied with a smile. You were in a better mood being with your friends again; it helped you to forget everything that had happened. They were a much-needed distraction to the harsh reality that your life had recently become. "How have things been around here? Rumour central I am guessing".<br>"Yeah the rumour mill has been spitting out some pretty farfetched ones lately about you being Voldemort's daughter or some crap like that" Harry said. "But in general it has been pretty quiet, I think everyone was snapped back into reality by the attack" he said.  
>"Yeah they all realize now that they really are in danger now that Voldemort is back. I mean you and Draco were attacked and Draco's dad is a bloody Death Eater! And that little girl who died, it just shows that no one is really safe anymore" Ron sighed despondently.<br>"Reality bites..." you muttered as you moved your food around with your fork, not being able to bring yourself to eat any of it just yet.  
>"It really does" Harry agreed, "But at least now everyone has their guard up right? It is about time people start realizing just how big of a threat Voldemort really is. I am thinking we should start making DA meetings four times a week instead of two, it might be tough to balance with school and Quidditch on top of it, but I think it is necessary" he finished.<br>"I think you are right Harry" you said and everyone else nodded as well.  
>"I heard a rumour that Professor Hollows is going to start up a duelling club, like the one that Lockhart started in our second year, remember?" Blaise said.<br>"Yeah, I bet she would be a better teacher than that windbag too" you responded, "If she does start one up we are definitely doing it" you said.  
>"Definitely" everyone else agreed. You looked around at your friends' faces; there of course was fear in their eyes. Who wouldn't be afraid during times like these? But there was something else there, something stronger that overpowered the fear. It was fortitude, courage, and a sense of duty.<p> 


	29. Chapter 29

"Here Hermione, Harry... Dumbledore asked me to give you two this" you said handing over Dumbledore's notes to the both of them.  
>They both opened them up hastily and you watched their eyes scan over the words. "What do they say?" Ron asked curiously trying to read over Hermione's shoulder.<br>"Nothing really, Dumbledore wants us to meet him in his office after dinner" Harry answered with a shrug, "I wonder what's up" he said.  
>"He asked me to go as well" you said, "We can go right after we finished eating".<br>"Why do you three get invited to go to all the important meetings and we always get stuck behind... And you get to be the DA representatives too!" Blaise whined looking a little depressed by the letters.  
>"I'm with Blaise on this one!" Luna declared.<br>"Usually I get to go to these kinds of things, why would he ask Hermione and Harry and not me?" Ron asked.  
>"Maybe he just doesn't want too many people there" Hermione suggested, "I mean he knows we are going to back and tell you everything anyways".<br>"That is true I guess, but why do you guys always get to be the representatives?" Blaise asked.  
>"Okay first of all being the representatives isn't that great. If the DA gets caught we are the ones who will be expelled and we are always the ones to get the depressing news first" Harry said, "And us three are the representatives, because usually I am the one these meetings are about and Hermione and Anna are the smart ones, so they are most likely to remember everything" Harry finished.<br>"Oh" Blaise whispered, "Yeah I guess that kind of makes sense" he said thoughtfully.  
>"Are you two ready?" Hermione asked putting down her fork and making the move to stand up.<p>

You and Harry both nodded yes and you all stood up to leave. You looked over toward the Slytherin table to see Draco getting up as well, your eyes met just before you stepped through the doors out into the hallway and toward Dumbledore's office. You wrung your hands together nervously in the anticipation of what you knew was about to happen.

"Ah Miss Darcy, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter come right on in and take a seat" Dumbledore greeted as he ushered you into his office toward four plush, green armchairs that he had summoned in front of his desk.  
>"Why are there four chairs Headmaster? Are we expecting someone else?" Hermione asked curiously as you both sat down on either side of Harry.<br>"Yes Miss Granger" Dumbledore answered just as knock came from the door, "And here he is now! Come in Mr. Malfoy" Dumbledore called, the door swung open, and Draco poked his head through and walked cautiously inside. You looked at the expressions on Harry and Hermione's faces and they were ones of complete and total shock.  
>"Hello Professor" Draco greeted walking over to the chairs and sitting in the one beside you. He grabbed hold of your hand in secret as he sat down, so the others didn't notice. "Sorry I am a little late" he apologized.<br>"That is quite alright Mr. Malfoy; we were just about to get started" Dumbledore said with a smile.  
>"Professor... what is <em>he<em> doing here?" Harry asked shooting Malfoy a nasty look.  
>"Because I asked him to be here Mr. Potter" Dumbledore replied. "I have brought you four here tonight, because the fate of the wizarding world rests upon your shoulders. Mr. Potter you were involved in a prophecy, which stated in the end you would murder Voldemort or be murdered-" Dumbledore began.<br>"Professor don't…" Harry hissed glancing apprehensively over at Draco. 

"I already know about the prophecy Potter" Draco said very calmly.  
>"What? You do? How?" Harry asked his voice rising with obvious anger that Draco knew.<br>"Please calm down Mr. Potter" Dumbledore said gently yet firmly showing he meant business. Harry reluctantly shut up and crossed his arms in front of his chest looking very unhappy. "He knows about the prophecy, because I told him about it. I had no other choice in the matter" he added hastily holding up his hand as Harry opened his mouth to protest, he shut it again in defeat. "There was a second prophecy made after the one about you and Voldemort that is closely linked with yours. Mr. Potter, you are not alone in the fight against Voldemort, I am afraid these two bear the same burden as you" Dumbledore said pointing toward you and Draco.  
>"What are you talking about Headmaster? What is the second prophecy?" Hermione blurted out.<br>"All in good time Miss Granger. Now I am going to explain everything in full, but I must ask you not to interrupt me" Dumbledore said giving Harry a hard glance. "See Harry on the night Voldemort set out to murder you, another baby was supposed to be murdered as well, Miss Darcy here. This is, because you were not the only one who a prophecy was made about. There was a second prophecy made shortly after yours and it went like this... '_The two children of the Dark Lord's prize... one beautiful with warm eyes of honey and the other of ice... born into the world with their destiny sealed... but both will deceive he who chose them with the power they wield... The girl will rise up and bring the boy by her side... together they are strong, but weak in divide... as her hearts melts ice the times grows near... and in the end they both the boy-who-lived and Dark Lord will bow to her in fear..._'" he paused and waited for Harry's reaction.  
>"What does that mean? I don't understand" Harry responded blankly.<br>"Harry look at Anna and Draco's eyes" Hermione said quietly; she had obviously figured it out already. It didn't surprise you in the least, because she was always brilliant.  
>Harry turned his lead slowly around and stared first into yours and then into Draco's eyes and his mouth dropped. "You- you mean it is about them" Harry asked, "I still- I still don't know what it means" he admitted.<br>"Anna's proper name is not Anna Louise Darcy" Dumbledore sighed. 

"My real name is Anna Bellatrix Lestrange" you spoke up, "My parents are Ivan and Bellatrix Lestrange the Death Eaters. They tried to kill me after the prophecy was made, but they didn't succeed and got sent to Azkaban, so I was sent to live in foster homes all my life. I met the Darcy's when I was eight years and they became the family I never had, so I took their name to hide from the shame of my real name" you explained. It felt like a giant weight had been lifted off your chest when you finished.  
>"Your mother is Bellatrix Lestrange?" Harry asked in disbelief, he looked over to Hermione who didn't look surprised in the least. Why would she be? She had known for nearly two years now about your parents. "Did you- did you know about this?" Harry asked sounding angry.<br>"I found out by accident at the Department of Mysteries in fifth year; Lucius Malfoy recognized her" Hermione answered not looking Harry in the eye.  
>"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked heatedly, turning to look at you again; his eyes were like two slits.<br>"I didn't tell anyone Harry, at least not willingly. I was ashamed, wouldn't you be if your parents were two of the most hated murderers in the world?" you replied tears forming in your eyes. Draco squeezed your hand in an attempt to comfort you when he noticed. "I wanted to tell you, but then- but then Sirius died and I- I guess I felt guilty" you sighed.  
>At this Harry's expression instantly softened and he reached over and put his hand on your shoulder gently.<p>

"Don't feel guilty, you never meant for it to happen. I know that" Harry said softly and you smiled weakly back at him. "Anyway" he said turning back to Dumbledore, "What does the prophecy mean?" 

"I have already explained this to Anna and Draco, so you two will have to sit through this explanation again. Draco and Anna were both born to Voldemorts most prized Death Eaters and were therefore selected to take his place as leader when he passed on. However in the prophecy it says they both will deceive the one that chose them and turn away from the dark side, which each of them have. It then says they are meant to- to well fall in love I believe" Dumbledore said honestly, "And together rise up against the Dark Lord with the power they wield only when together. The last part of this prophecy is the part I believe to be the most important, it states that both you and Voldemort will bow to Miss Darcy in fear when the ends comes" he said.  
>"But I am supposed to kill Voldemort aren't I? It is my destiny to kill or be killed right?" Harry asked.<br>"Yes Harry, but with this new prophecy something new was revealed. Ultimately Miss Darcy holds the power to grant you or the Dark Lord the power to take the other's life, in the end you will both bow to her, in the end she will decide the fate of the Wizarding world" Dumbledore said glancing at you, "Mr. Malfoy here I believe will also have a great amount of influence" he added.  
>"You mean- you mean my fate rests with Anna and- and <em>Malfoy<em>?" Harry asked not looking happy his life was in Draco's hands.  
>"That is correct Mr. Potter, so naturally when Voldemort found out this girl-" he said pointing to you, "-could possibly be his downfall he aimed to kill her as quickly as possible along with you. But the fates usually cannot be avoided and in the end both of you lived" Dumbledore finally finished.<br>"Well... then we have won haven't we? I mean Anna will choose my life over Voldemort's" Harry stated, you knew in his mind he was thinking that there had to be a catch to this. This couldn't be _that_ easy.  
>"It seems that way Mr. Potter, but you must pay attention to every word in the last line. You will bow to her in <em>fear<em>... both of you will fear her for a reason I do not know and cannot predict" Dumbledore answered.  
>"I won't let you down" you said with conviction, "I refuse to let you down". <p>

Hermione, who had stayed silent most of the meeting, finally spoke up, "What if they use the Imperius curse one her? What if they control her?" Hermione asked with fear shining in her caramel brown eyes. "What if they _make_ her choose Voldemort in the end?"  
>"Yes I have considered that Miss Granger" Dumbledore replied, "That is why Miss Darcy here will be starting Occlumency lessons along with Mr. Potter".<br>"What?" you blurted out, you had not been aware you would have to take Occlumency.  
>"Yes I decided after you left it would be for the best" he answered, "Professor Snape will be instructing you every Monday night and I expect you both to practice" Dumbledore added giving Harry a hard look.<br>Harry mumbled something inaudible before speaking up again, "What do you mean Anna and Draco are meant to fall in love?" he asked suddenly. As if that part of the explanation had just sunken in.  
>"Well erm- that part kind of already happened" you mumbled in reply as Draco lifted up your hand to show Hermione and Harry that they were clasped together.<br>"You- you and _him_?" Harry asked, looking like once more was going to get upset. 

"Look Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy here is on your side now. I know you two have had your differences" Dumbledore started. '_That is the understatement of the century_' you thought yourself. "But you are going to have to learn to leave the past behind you; he is here to help you now".  
>Harry gulped looking like he was trying desperately hard not to lash out.<p>

"Fine" he said so quietly it was almost impossible to hear, but it comforted you all the same to know he was at least willing to try and get along with Draco. "So how long has this thing been going on, huh?" Harry asked referring to you and Draco's relationship.  
>"Erm- well a little at the beginning of sixth year before me and Oliver and all of this year" you answered avoiding direct eye contact.<br>"That long? And you never told us? You have been lying to us all this time?" Harry exclaimed.  
>"How was I supposed to tell you Harry? I knew how you would react; you would scream and yell and tell me what a bloody idiot I was. You wouldn't even give me the chance to explain that he had changed, that he was a different person than you thought he was" you countered.<br>"Oh I'm glad you have so much faith in your best friend Anna" Harry said sarcastically.  
>"Oh look me in the eye and honestly tell me you wouldn't have reacted that way!" you snapped. His head snapped around and he looked straight into your eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.<br>"Oh fine, you win" Harry muttered, but you could tell he was still upset. You were well aware the things that Harry hated most were secrets. 

"I believe that is all I need to say" Dumbledore said and Harry immediately shot up to leave, "Oh no you don't Mr. Potter, sit back down" he ordered and Harry obeyed with a confused expression on his face. "You my dear children are the future of the wizarding world and if you cannot get along well then the future looks pretty grim. So you four will remain here together for the night and hopefully work things out. I will release you in the morning, goodnight" he said with a smile as he shut the door tight behind him and locked you all inside.  
>Suddenly the chairs you were sitting in disappeared and Dumbledore's desk sunk down into the floor. In their places appeared four small twin beds in a little row each with a pair of pajamas on top. You looked up at your friends to see Draco and Harry eying each other murderously and Hermione who looked on the verge of tears. You knew then you were in for a very long night.<p> 


	30. Chapter 30

He sat in the armchair in front of the fire in the living room in the house he hated so passionately. The house that his father had lived in, the house where he killed him, the House of Riddle. He held his cane with the silver head of a serpent on top in his left hand and stoked Nagini, his snake, with the right. All around him stood at dozens of people dressed in hooded black cloaks who were all staring in silence awaiting their Dark Lord's commands.

"Go to another room, I wish to be left alone" he hissed not taking his eyes away from the fire, "Except you, Malfoy, Bella" he added. All of the black shrouded figures filed out of the room obediently leaving only two standing by his chair. They removed their cloaks and revealed their faces.

"Yes my Lord?" Lucius asked kneeling down and kissing his master's feet.  
>"You two have failed me" he said simply and unemotionally, he rarely showed emotion. They both opened their mouths no doubt to apologize profusely for their mistakes, but he held up his hand to stop them. "You have been forgiven my children... for now" he added in a warning tone, "But I cannot allow that girl to live much longer" he hissed. Voldemort had only feared one other wizard his entire life and that was Albus Dumbledore, but now he feared two. He feared a mere girl of seventeen who only stood at four feet eleven inches and weighed a measly one hundred pounds, but yet he was still terrified of her. He had gone over the prophecy a million times in his head, '<em>and the Dark Lord will both bow to her in fear<em>'. That part made him nervous, more nervous than he was comfortable with. This girl needed to be gotten rid of as quickly as possible, by any means necessary.

"Of course not my Lord, we will destroy her she is only a girl" Lucius said.  
>"Yes she is only a girl, yet she wields a power stronger then the two of you combined... if I only knew what it was" he said in frustration glaring into the fire. "She has evaded you twice, I suggest you two devise a plan before going after her once more, because if this time you do not succeed you will be destroyed" he threatened.<br>"Yes master, of course master. We will not let you down" Bellatrix said kissing his hand.

"Malfoy get me the new boy" Voldemort demanded suddenly, causing Lucius to jump slightly. He nodded obediently after regaining his composure and walked into the other room where many of the Death Eaters were gathered. He came back moments later with a young boy of only eighteen trailing behind him. His head was hung over with fear and his hands were shaking uncontrollably at his side. His mind was racing with ideas of what he could've done to anger his master.

"What is your name again boy?" Voldemort spat when the young man stood in front of him.  
>"Frederick Martin" he answered, trying to keep his voice from faltering in fear.<br>"You were a friend of Anna Darcy's during school am I correct?" Voldemort asked.  
>"I knew her yes, we were in the same house" Freddie answered not looking him in the eye.<br>"You are a Ravenclaw? What is a Ravenclaw doing as a Death Eater?" Bellatrix snapped.  
>"Hush Bella" Voldemort ordered holding his hand up to her before turning back to Freddie.<p>

"How much can you tell us about Darcy?" he asked and suddenly Freddie realized what was going on and why he had been brought here. He had recently, much to his shock, found out that Anna Darcy was at the top of Voldemort's most wanted list right below Harry Potter, beside Albus Dumbledore, and right above Draco Malfoy. He knew there had recently been a failed attempt to kill both her and Malfoy, so of course they would be planning a second strike soon. Why hadn't he figured they would call him in to help? It was common knowledge that he had been a friend of Anna Darcy and now they wanted him to betray her.

"What do you want to know?" Freddie asked trying to sound confident.  
>"Everything" Voldemort replied, "I want to know her likes, dislikes, friends, enemies, what type of food she eats, what she does for fun, what subjects she excels in... everything" he repeated again.<br>'_Everything..._' the word echoed through Freddie's head. He thought back at all the good times he had spent with Anna. Like the times when they used to put canary creams in Cho's soup or the time they switched her shampoo with orange hair dye. He remembered the time when they put Filch's entire office under water or when the convinced Roger that talking to your broom actually did make it fly faster. He had to fight back a smile as he remembered these times; she had always been so kind, so much fun. Now it was the moment of truth, his time to play his part for the dark side, but could really betray his old best friend to her death?

"Okay how about everyone just stays calm. None of us need to yell and there is no need to get angry" you said specifically to Harry and Draco whose eyes were still locked in a ferocious staring contest.  
>"You know Malfoy, you are pretty damn lucky fate gave you someone like Anna when you bloody deserve Millicent Bullstrode" Harry snapped.<br>"Oh _real_ nice Potter" Draco replied snidely rolling his eyes at Harry.  
>"Okay, both of you shut up! Harry I am very lucky to have Draco and he deserves me as much as I deserve him, no more or no less got it?" you said looking fiercely at Harry.<br>"He does not deserve you Anna! How can you even like him? He calls me a mudblood!" Hermione blurted out, still looking ready to cry at any moment, "I thought you were supposed to be my best friend".  
>"I am your best friend Herms" you responded quietly, feeling hurt by her words.<br>"Stop your whining Granger; I haven't called you a mudblood in over a year now" Draco snapped.  
>"That doesn't change what you did in the past Malfoy! You really hurt my feelings when you said those things!" Hermione replied sharply.<br>"You know what Granger- I'm sorry." Draco admitted; Hermione and Harry's jaws dropped in shock... they had never before heard him utter those two words together. "You have got to understand where I am coming from though. I grew up in a house full of bloody Death Eaters who use that word like it is nothing. I have been taught since the day I was born that muggles, muggle borns, and half bloods are below me, if you are brainwashed to believe something is true that long it is hard to change. Then I came to Hogwarts and of course I was placed into Slytherin where there are even more people who think the exact same way! Think about if you had been placed in my shoes Granger and me in yours, you would have been calling me a mudblood wouldn't you? You'd be friends with Parkinson and Bullstrode wouldn't you? And how much do you want a bet there would be a nice silver and green 'S' on the front of your robes? Or do you think you are just oh so strong and righteous that you could have resisted eleven bloody years of brainwashing?" Draco finished heatedly.

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but then she stopped and closed her mouth. An expression appeared on her face that showed she was considering what Draco had just said to her. "I- I guess you are right" she finally said.  
>"Look I am not using my past as an excuse, but more as a reason for my behavior" he said calmly.<br>"Stop playing the pity card Malfoy, is that how you got Anna to like you? Try having no parents at all!" Harry shouted becoming red-faced.  
>"Look it sucks your parents died Potter and I am sorry they did, alright? But I haven't necessarily had it easy either over the years and neither has Anna. I have had to grow up with an abusive father and a mother who is too damn scared to stop him. And Anna has been bounced from foster home to foster and living in the fear that one day her real parents may escape from Azkaban and now they have. You are not the only one who has had it tough Potter" Draco replied.<br>"Draco is right, we have all had it tough but we are all still here aren't we? Even Hermione, I know it can't be easy for you. There is a lot of discrimination against muggle borns out there and it is hard to get ripped out of the only world you have known and thrown into a new one" you said, "We are all strong because of it, but we are stronger together. We _need_ to learn to get along and trust each other" you said desperately.  
>"What changed you? What made you decide what you were doing was wrong?" Harry asked Draco, his voice had calmed considerably at this point.<br>"I always kind of knew what I was doing was wrong, I just never had the guts to stop doing it" he admitted, "Anna was the one who helped me there" he said putting his hand on your shoulder and smiling down at you.  
>"Yes I have been a very good influence on him" you chuckled putting your hand on top of his. "I trust him and so can you guys" you assured them. Harry and Hermione both nodded showing that they believed your words.<p>

"Okay now that we are kind of getting along what do you want to do?" you asked.  
>"Well we are alone and unsupervised" Draco whispered seductively in your ear before kissing your neck.<br>"Not completely alone their Malfoy!" Harry exclaimed shielding his eyes teasingly.  
>Everyone laughed and then Draco spoke out, "Call me Draco" he said.<br>"What?" Harry asked.  
>"Call me Draco, not Malfoy" he specified.<br>"Alright... _Draco_, but only if you stop calling me Potter. The name is Harry" Harry said with a smile on his face holding out his hand to Draco.  
>"Alright <em>Harry<em>" Draco said with a genuine smile on his face that made you smile too, maybe this night wouldn't turn out to be so awful after all.

"So again what _do_ you all want to do? It is only 7:00 and I am bored" Hermione complained. "I don't even have my homework to do!"  
>"Oh no! No homework!" Harry shouted sarcastically as he dramatically clasped his hand over his heart, "Whatever shall we do?"<br>"Oh shut up Harry" Hermione snapped as she playfully punched him the arm.  
>You laughed as you listened to their conversation and walked over to Dumbledore's cabinets to see if there was anything interesting to do in them. Then you saw something that gave you a brilliant idea. "I have got an idea!" you exclaimed suddenly and everyone turned to face you.<p>

You opened up the cabinet door, with a mischievous smirk on your face, you suggested, "How about we play a nice little game of truth and dare?"


	31. Chapter 31

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>"Veritaserum? Are you sure?" Hermione asked apprehensively as you held up the vile.<br>"Makes things a little more interesting doesn't it? Nothing too dirty though guys, I am warning you" you said shooting Draco and Harry hard glances.  
>"Dirty questions? Us? Never!" Harry exclaimed pretending to be hurt.<br>"Yeah, we are good little boys" Draco said with a wink.  
>You snorted in laughter before taking a swig of the truth potion, "Your turn" you said tossing it to Draco who took a swig as well, then Harry, and finally, although she was rather reluctant, Hermione drank some as well.<p>

You took all the pillows and blankets off the beds and piled them all on the floor. Then you sat down in a circle and prepared for a good old-fashioned game of truth and dare. But the game turned from truth or dare to basically truth and as for your no dirty questions suggestion... well that went down the tubes with the very first question thanks to the boys.

"Okay first of all we all need to make a pact, what is said in this room stays in this room got it?" you asked and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Alright Anna, which classroom in this school would you most like to do _it_ in?" Harry asked with a smirk.  
>"Hey I said no dirty-" but before you can even finished your protest the truth came spilling out of you like word vomit, "The Charms classroom!"<br>"The Charms classroom? I was expecting maybe the dungeons, you seem like a kinky one" Harry said with a wink and you threw a pillow at his head.  
>"Alright my turn... the next victim shall be, Hermione!" you exclaimed and she began to shake nervously. "How far have you gone with Carrot Top?" you asked and a look of horror appeared on her face.<br>She clamped her hands over her mouth tightly, but that could not save her. The truth inevitably came spilling out of her, "All the way" she burst out before clamping her hands over her mouth again and turning beat red.  
>Harry, Draco, and your eyes all widened in complete and total disbelief. "You- you what? Before me? I always thought you were the good one Herms" you laughed.<br>"So that is where Ron sneaks off to every night!" Harry exclaimed triumphantly. "I cannot believe Ron never told me, you'd think he be rubbing it in my face! Harry laughed.

"Alright we are moving on now!" Hermione growled, "Hah! I have a good question. Harry who did you have a crush on during third year?" Hermione asked.  
>"Anna Darcy" Harry answered before glaring at Hermione, "Hey you already knew the answer to that one!"<br>"Yeah, but Anna didn't" Hermione said with a victorious smile and everyone laughed.  
>"You had a crush on me in third year? That's why you bought me that bracelet for Christmas! Aw- how sweet" you teased pinching him teasingly on the cheek.<br>"Oh shut ya trap Darcy" Harry snapped jokingly, "I was temporarily insane".  
>"Denial" you said simply with a smirk.<p>

He shook his head at you and then turned to Draco, "Alright Draco... are you a virgin?" Harry asked.  
>"Yes" shot out of Draco's mouth and once more everybody's eyes widened in shock.<br>"No bloody way!" you exclaimed, "Are you really?" you asked in disbelief.  
>"I can't really lie can I...?" Draco mumbled looking rather embarrassed.<br>You weren't completely sure why, but hearing Draco was a virgin was some of the best news you had ever received. You thought for sure with all the stupid Slytherin girls that worshipped the very ground he walked on that he would be a little more _experienced_ than you. "Aw- Draco!" you said pulling him into a tight hug and kissing him on the cheek.  
>He laughed not looking as embarrassed anymore, "I was just waiting for the right person" he said giving you a secret wink that the other two couldn't see; you blushed bright red but buried your head into a pillow so they wouldn't notice.<p>

"Okay I have got one for you Hermione" Draco said with a smile and Hermione looked even more nervous than she did when you chose her. "Who do you think is the best looking guy in our year?" he asked.  
>"Oh crap-" she managed to get out before, "Draco Malfoy" shot out of her mouth.<br>"WHAT?" you, Harry, and Draco all yelled in unison.  
>"He's got nice eyes..." Hermione mumbled turning crimson, "You were thinking the exact same thing and you know it" she shot out at you.<br>"Yeah I was" you said with a shrug, "But he is _my_ boyfriend, so it's okay" you laughed.  
>"Oh shoot! You guys <em>cannot<em> tell Ronald about this, he would flip!" Hermione pleaded.  
>"We won't tell" Harry chuckled, "But can't you just imagine Ron's face if we did tell him?"<br>"That would be PRICELESS!" you exclaimed. "How about you two, who are the best looking girls in our year?" you asked in curiosity, knowing that neither of them could refuse to answer thanks to the Veritaserum.  
>"Anna Darcy" Draco answered without embarrassment.<br>"Padma Patil" Harry answered and then he slapped himself on the forehead.  
>"PADMA PATIL? Gah! I can't stand that little- gah!" you exclaimed. "Why couldn't you pick Parvati, they are twins aren't they?" you asked.<br>"Padma wears her skirt shorter" and Harry slapped himself again making everyone burst out laughing, except you threw yet another pillow rather violently at his head.

"Ugh... why do I get all the embarrassing questions" Hermione whined, "Alright Harry... if Luna didn't exist who would be your second choice?" she asked.  
>"Hermione" he answered.<br>"What?" Hermione asked in surprise, "Okay I was not expecting that one" she laughed, blushing a little bit.  
>"Whoa! I wasn't even expecting that to come out of my mouth! Ron doesn't here about that either" Harry warned.<br>"Poor Ronald..." you sighed.

After a few more minutes the game turned into an all out truth war and you had all given up on taking turns. Everyone was shouting out random questions and by the end of it you all knew a little more about the other than you really wanted.

"Oh my! Guys it is already 1:00am!" Hermione exclaimed after a particularly violent pillow fight that erupted after you had been tricked into admitting Harry had a nice butt.  
>"Ugh... I am going to be so dead for Potions tomorrow morning" you moaned.<br>"Oh dammit, we have bloody Potions first tomorrow" Harry whined after you reminded him, "I need to get to sleep or I am going to fall asleep in my potion".  
>"Yeah and that guy already hates me enough as it is" you mumbled; "You think it is because I spilt that shrinking potion on his lap in second year?" you laughed.<br>"Hell I'd hate you too!" Draco exclaimed.  
>"Well he could always just you an enlarging potion to erm- fix it couldn't he?" Hermione said giggling slightly.<br>"I never even thought of that..." Draco said thoughtfully and you slapped him on the arm.

It took you all a long time before you all finally calmed down and tucked yourselves into bed and turned off the lights. As soon as the lights were off Draco snuck over into your bed and you didn't protest. You felt safe with your body against his and his arm around your waist. You could feel his warm breath hitting the back of your neck sending pleasant tingles through your body and slowly you felt yourself drifting off to sleep.

'_You were in a corner watching and everything was completely silent... in front of you, you saw yourself. You were tremendously pale and a stream of blood was pouring down from your forehead. Your head was shooting back and forth between two different places.  
>In front of you on the ground was Harry, who was bent over trembling from head to toe. He was saying something to you, but you could not hear the words that he was saying. Beside him was Voldemort who was leaned up against the wall looking weak. To your right in a corner was Lucius Malfoy with his arm wrapped around Draco's neck and his wand pointing straight at his heart. Lucius was yelling something to you with a sneer on his face, Draco was also screaming, but you could not hear the words leaving his lips. You could see there was a pleading look in his eyes.<br>You watched silently as a single, silver tear ran down your dirty and blood strained cheeks. You could see the indecision and conflict in your eyes. You held a wand in your trembling in your hand. You stepped closer to Voldemort and Harry; slowly you bent down and held the wand out in front of you. Both Harry and Voldemort stared at it intently and slowly you handed it over toward the Dark Lord..._'

"Anna... Anna... wake up" a voice was calling to you, but it sounded so distant. "Anna, please wake up" the voice came again and you began to force your eyelids slowly open. Draco's face was leaned over yours; he looked very nervous. Beside his were Harry and Hermione's faces as well.

"Are you okay Anna?" Hermione asked when they noticed your eyes open.  
>"Erm- yeah... Yeah, I'm fine" you said rubbing your temples. You had a splitting headache, but you weren't sure why, "Just a headache that's all" you said.<br>"Did you have a bad dream?" Draco asked wrapping his arms around you gently. "You were shaking and yelling about something" he said.  
>"I don't know... I don't remember anything" you said trying to rack your mind for something, but you couldn't remember dreaming about anything...<p> 


	32. Chapter 32

"Good morning everyone" a different voice suddenly entered the room and you all looked to see Dumbledore standing in the door. "Something wrong?" he asked when he noticed everyone huddled around you on top of your bed.  
>"No, I just had a bad dream I think... that's all" you said standing up from the bed, but quickly sitting back down, because of your dizziness.<br>His twinkling blue eyes all of a sudden widened a little and became nervous for some reason, "Do you remember your dream Anna?" he asked very seriously.  
>"Um- no, no I don't" you answered honestly, "But I have a pretty bad headache" you said.<br>He nodded looking relieved by your reply, "So how did everything go in here last night? I see you discovered my Veritaserum, eh?" he chuckled holding up the now empty vile. You all opened your mouths at once to apologize, but he held his hand up motioning for you to stay quiet. "Do not worry, it is quite alright. Sometimes the truth comes in handy for these kinds of situations" he said with a smile. "So is everyone getting along a little better now?" he questioned.  
>"Much better, these two actually shook hands without secretly trying to jinx each other if you can believe it" you answered cheerfully pointing to Draco and Harry.<br>"Wow, I must say that I am impressed Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter. Have you taken to calling each other by your first names now as well?" he asked.  
>"I don't know, have we Harry?" Draco asked.<br>"Yes Draco, I believe we have" Harry answered.  
>"Very good, I am extremely proud of all of you" Dumbledore said looking genuinely pleased, "You are all now free to go to your Common Rooms and get ready for the day before breakfast. And I hope you all slept well last night, because I still expect you all in your classes on time" he said and you all groaned loudly except for Hermione who looked happy with news.<p>

You entered your dorm room and walked over to your trunk to retrieve your uniform. All the other girls were still sleeping soundly in your beds. Seeing this you deliberately slammed your trunk shut with a loud bang that echoed loudly throughout the room.  
>"Arrgh, go to hell Darcy!" you heard Padma yell angrily from her bed, this made a wide smile appear across your face. '<em>I missed doing that<em>' you thought amusedly to yourself as trotted off toward the bathroom.

You tied your hair back in a messy bun before changing into your blue and silver school uniform. You walked out of the bathroom just as a very irritated looking Padma and her worshippers were walking in giving you dirty looks. You just smiled and waved cheerfully, before you continued on down the hall, then down the stairs into the Common Room that was pretty much empty. Most people were already probably down at breakfast.

Your heart was pounding out of your chest as you walked toward the Grand Staircase where you were meeting Draco. You two had planned to finally reveal your little secret to the entire school by walking into together... hand in hand. You could just picture the looks of shock on everyone's faces and you could just hear their whispers like a swarm of bees. But you could care less what they had to say; as long as you still had Draco and your best friends by your side you were set.

"Good morning" you greeted when you arrived at the spot where Draco was waiting for you.  
>"Good morning beautiful" he replied kissing you innocently on the lips. "Nervous?" he asked.<br>"A little" you admitted, "But I think everything will be okay? Have Harry and Hermione already gone in?" you asked. Harry and Hermione had agreed to go in first, so they could explain everything to Ron, Luna, and Blaise before you guys made your entrance.  
>"Yeah about ten minutes ago, do you think that is long enough?" he replied.<br>"I don't know" you said uncertainly, "We'd better give them another ten minutes, it is probably going to take Ron awhile to process it all" you laughed.

The two of you stood there for another ten minutes just talking about how much it sucked to have to go back to classes after being in the hospital for a week. Then you finally walked over to the double doors leading into the Great Hall. You gripped his hand tightly and took a deep breath before pushing the door open and walking through.  
>At first people didn't even notice, but one person looked and they pointed it out to the person beside them and eventually the entire hall was buzzing with whispers. The looks on the faces of the Slytherins were like a mixture of shock and disgust, which you found pretty amusing. Pansy Parkinson was giving you a death glare, which you found even more amusing. "Come on, just ignore it" you said pulling him over to the Gryffindor table where your friends were all sitting.<p>

"Draco! What the hell are you doing with that stupid blood traitor slut?" Pansy screeched running over to your table with a group of girls following close behind her; including a very pissed off looking Ruby Pickford.  
>"You better shut your mouth Parkinson, don't you dare talk about my girlfriend like that" Draco hissed.<br>"Girlfriend? This- this _thing_ is your bloody girlfriend! Why Draco? You could do so much better you know!" Ruby shrieked pointing at you.  
>"Anna is my girlfriend and why? Because I love her that's why. And if by better you mean you or Parkinson here then I am sorry to say it, but you have lost your bloody mind" Draco responded coolly.<br>"This is an outrage! You just wait until I tell your parents about this Draco Malfoy!" Pansy hissed.  
>"His parents already know Parkinson, so why don't you just piss off" Harry spat.<br>"Oh and you are friends with Scarhead now too? You disgust me Malfoy" Pansy said before turning on her heel, "Let's go" she demanded the rest of the girls and with some final parting glares they left.

The entire student body had watched the fight and their jaws were hanging open in utter disbelief. Since when was the Slytherin jerk Malfoy in love with the good old' Anna Darcy? Since when did Harry stick up for Malfoy? It was like the world, as they knew it, had been suddenly turned completely upside down.  
>"You can stop staring now! Really, I am not <em>that<em> beautiful!" you yelled sarcastically to the other students whose persistent stares were beginning to piss you off. A few people immediately looked back down at their food or turned to whisper to their friends at your words, but some just continued to stare rudely.

You turned back around, "Good morning Ron, Blaise, Luna" you said with a smile. Luna greeted you back happily, but the other two just stared at you still looking a little shocked by the whole situation.  
>"Erm- did Harry and Hermione explain everything to you?" Draco asked quietly. You had never really seen him look nervous before and you had to admit he looked rather adorable. There was a hint of red in his usually pale cheeks and he was running his fingers through his hair nervously.<br>"Um- yeah, yeah they did" Blaise answered and Ron just nodded looking dumbstruck. "We are just um- kind of in disbelief to be honest" he said.

Draco nodded and went to pick up his fork, but dropped it because his hands were shaking so much. "You know you look really cute when you are nervous..." you whispered sweetly in his ear as you took his hand in yours. He smiled and leaned over to kiss you gently on the lips.  
>When you looked back up you saw Ron cringing slightly, "Whoa! Okay that is going to take awhile to get used to" he said referring to the kiss. Blaise also looked a little bit uncomfortable with it; Luna on the other hand looked totally unaffected. You weren't surprised; you had expected her not to be taken aback by it. She had figured it out back in the beginning of sixth year and she had probably already figured it out this year as well; she had always been an extremely observant person.<p>

You and Draco both laughed, "So how have the DA meetings been going lately?" you whispered.  
>"Alright, I have missed having you as my demonstration buddy though. No one else seems to want to be my guinea pig" Harry chuckled in reply.<br>"Hmm... I can't imagine why" you said cocking an eyebrow at him, "We have one tonight right?" you inquired.  
>"Yes we do" Hermione answered. "Draco you are going to come right?" she asked.<br>"Yeah I was planning on it" Draco answered.  
>"Okay good" Hermione said, "But I need you to sign this" she said holding out a scroll of parchment. "It is a list of all the DA members, it ensures that if anyone here listed reveals the secret of the DA they will break out into some unsightly boils like Marietta Edgecombe did when she betrayed us" Hermione explained.<br>"Hah! I remember that" Draco laughed, "Don't worry I won't tell anyone" he said signing his name quickly and rolling the scroll back up.  
>"Yes, you wouldn't want to ruin that handsome face of yours" you said with a wink.<br>"Yeah all the girls seem to think it is the best looking one in the school" Harry teased and Hermione shot him a warning glare that made you and Draco burst out laughing.

"I get the feeling I am missing something" Ron said raising an eyebrow at the four of you.  
>"Really? Because sometimes I get the feeling like you aren't telling me everything Ronald" Harry said, "Like sometimes I wake up at night and you aren't in your bed. I wonder where you sneak off to" he said trying his best to keep a straight face.<br>"Yeah Carrot Top, where have you been sneaking off to?" you asked with a smirk.  
>"I erm- well I uh- it is none of your business" Ron answered turning nearly as red as Hermione already was. You, Draco, and Harry had to avoid making eye contact or else you would have most definitely broken out into laughter again.<br>"Ehem- keeping pacts are important, don't you all agree?" Hermione hissed glowering at you three.  
>"I don't even want to know..." Ron mumbled as he took a large bit of his toast.<p> 


	33. Chapter 33

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

* * *

><p>You were assailed with questions and less than polite comments as you walked down the hall with Blaise and Harry on either side of you. "Leave her alone, just lay off" they both kept ordering people trying to talk to you about Draco. It was like you had your own personal bodyguards.<p>

The three of you stopped outside the door that lead down into the dungeons, "You know we don't have to be in Potions for another ten minutes, I am not too keen on being early" Blaise commented looking down at his watch.  
>"Let me go down first okay guys? I need to talk to him about something" you said.<br>Blaise and Harry both raised an eyebrow at you curiously, but agreed. "Good luck!" Harry called as you walked descended down the stone steps.

You stopped in front of the door that led into the Potions classroom and took a deep breath. Your mind was racing with what you should say to Snape, the man had saved your arse twice now and you felt like you had to at least say thank you. You really were grateful for everything he had done, but there was still the little fact that he couldn't stand you. '_Well he can't hate me that much right? I mean he would have let me die by now..._' you thought encouragingly as you turned the doorknob slowly.  
>When you entered the room you were relieved to see it was deserted except for the professor, '<em>Well what did you expect? No one wants to be early for Potions<em>' you thought.

Snape was busy writing notes on the board with his wand, and then he finally noticed your presence. "Miss Darcy? You are actually _early_" Snape said in shock. You, Harry, and Blaise had sort of made it a habit of being late or right on time to class.  
>"Uh- yeah. I wanted to um- talk to you about something" you began nervously.<br>"I am listening" he replied callously turning away from the board to face you.  
>His less than enthusiastic tone of voice made you rethink what you were about to say, but you decided to say it anyways. "Look I just wanted to thank you for everything. It was really brave of you to take that spell for me, if you didn't- well I wouldn't be standing here right now" you said. And then you did something that you had never planned on doing, you walked over to him and... And you hugged him.<p>

His body went stiff in obvious shock and he nervously patted you on the back. Just as you let go, Blaise and Harry walked inside the classroom.  
>"Zabini and Potter on time to I see? Has the world gone completely mad?" he asked sardonically.<br>"I am starting to think it has" you laughed before walking over to sit down with Harry and Blaise. When you looked up Snape had gone back to writing the notes on the board, but you thought you could see a small smile on his face.

"What was that all about?" Harry questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Were you actually hugging Snape?" Harry asked sounding shocked.  
>"Yeah well he did save my arse twice. He stepped in front of Bellatrix's last spell for me and he saved me from them when they tried to murder me as a baby" you explained quietly as more students began to file into the classroom, "Plus he kind of is my godfather".<br>"What? No way!" Blaise exclaimed rather loudly and everyone turned to stare at him curiously.  
>"Yeah scream it to the world there Zabini" you said mockingly, "But yeah he is".<br>"Then why is he so mean to you?" Harry asked.  
>"Don't know mate, I guess I remind him of my father and he wasn't exactly very nice guy I hear" you said with a shrug and Harry nodded understandingly.<br>"Yeah that is why he hates me too, I look like my father" Harry sighed.

"Class has begun" Snape said shortly and all the conversations going amongst the students came to an abrupt stop and there was silence. "Today we will be making a Shrinking Potion-" Snape began, but he was cut short when you and Harry both snorted in unison as you remembered your comment last night about spilling the Shrinking Potion on Snape's lap.  
>"Is something funny Miss Darcy? Mr. Potter?" Snape hissed at the two of you, who were both desperately trying to suppress your laughter.<br>"N-no P-Professor Snape" you answered, but you were not very convincing at all, seeing as you were saying this in between uncontrollable laughter.  
>"My classroom was much more orderly when you were not present Miss Darcy" Snape snapped.<br>"Aw- but orderly is never really as fun though, is it? I make things exciting! Come on just admit it; you know you missed me" you responded with a bright smile and a wink, finally being able to get some control over your laughs.  
>"Oh yes Miss Darcy, I missed you so much that I want you to spend another hour with me in detention this Saturday afternoon" Snape replied with a smirk.<br>"I'll see you then Professor!" you exclaimed as you began to crush some unicorn horn into powder. You sighed as leant back in your chair, "Some things will never change..." you whispered to yourself with a smile on your face.

You walked into the Ravenclaw Common Room after eating dinner. It was almost completely silent, you remembered when it used to be filled with the sounds of people laughing and chatting away about classes or the upcoming Quidditch match, but now there was near silence... The Ravenclaws had lost a very well liked member of their house, the young Melanie Morris. Losing a member of your house like that was almost like losing a family member. Plus everyone felt terrible for poor Remy, who had just asked her to be his girlfriend that night. His eyes were always red and puffy as if he had just been crying and he just sort of drifted around never saying a word.

You held the announcement flyer in your hands in front of the house bulletin board, but you could not bring yourself to pin it up. It hurt too much; the notice was announcing the tryouts for a new keeper. It killed you to have to accept the fact that she really was gone, but you did need a new keeper by next Saturday for the match against Hufflepuff.

"You okay there Anna?" Michael Corner asked coming up behind you. He looked down at the flyer in your hands and his face immediately fell.  
>"I don't want to put it up..." you whispered trying your best to choke back tears.<br>"I know I miss her too" he said putting his arm comfortingly around your shoulder, "Look you don't have to put it up. My sister can play keeper if you want, but she is only a first year. She practiced with me a lot this summer, so I think she would be alright" Michael suggested.  
>"Really? You think that she would be okay?" you asked hopefully, you really did not want to hold tryouts. It would make the realization of Mel's death too hard.<br>"Yeah, she will be fine. She can use my old broom and you can work with her. You are great captain, I am sure you can whip her into shape" he joked ruffling your hair a little.  
>"Thanks Mikey, I owe you" you said quietly giving him a friendly hug before walking up to your dorm for the night.<p>

You laid down on your four-poster bed and shut the bed hangings around you; you desperately needed privacy from the other girls in the room. You buried your head into your pillow and let the tears you had been holding back come out. You cried for poor little Melanie Morris whose life had been cut so short and for your foster parents who had given up so much for you and were now dead because of you.

At that moment you felt completely alone; you dreadfully needed to talk to someone you could trust. But you knew the girls in your dorm could care less about you and Luna had gone off somewhere with Harry that night.  
>Then it suddenly hit you; you poked your head through your bed hanging and opened up your trunk. You pulled out your journal that was almost identical to the one that you had given Draco for his birthday. You had enchanted the journals so if you wrote on the last page it would appear in the other journal and you could both communicate even when you were far away. You took out a quill as well and began to scribble away...<p>

'_Draco... are you there?'_you wrote. There was a short pause when finally more writing appeared.

'_Hey Anna, what's up? Is everything okay?_' he wrote back in reply.

'_Just a little lonely I guess, are you busy?_

'_No not at all, are you sure you are okay? Do you want to meet me somewhere?'_

'_Yeah... you know it has been a long time since we have gone to the tower._

_The tower it is, meet you there?_

_It is a date._

You snapped the journal shut with those last parting words and jumped out of your bed. You had yet to change into your pajamas and were still clad in your school uniform. Ignoring the questions of where you were going from Padma and the others you headed down the stairs and out of the painfully quiet Common Room toward the tower where Draco would be waiting for you.

You made your way up the familiar winding staircase and through the door to the circular room lined with windows that let the starlight shine through beautifully. There Draco was, waiting as he always did by the wall staring out into the calming darkness of the night.

"Thank you for coming" you whispered walking over and interlacing your fingers with his.  
>"Of course" he responded with a smile, but his expression became one of concern when he looked down upon your face.<p>

"Anna, are you okay?" he asked placing his hand gently on your tearstained cheek.  
>"I don't know Draco" you replied honestly, "I just- I felt alone... my parents- well at least the people I always considered my parents are dead and it is all my fault. I don't want to hurt anymore people" you sighed.<br>"You are never alone Anna" Draco replied pulling you close to him in a hug. He kissed your forehead and brushed the hair from in front of your eyes behind your ear. "It isn't your fault they died, it is Voldemort's. He is the one who ordered it; he is the one who corrupted those people to slaughter the innocent".  
>"I guess you are right" you whispered, "I just- I miss them Draco". The tears began to pour out once more and you buried your head into his chest.<br>He rubbed your back gently and held you tightly in his arms as if he would never let you go. "I know Anna, but it will be okay. It will all be okay in the end, I promise" he whispered to the top of your head and there was something about his voice that told you what he was saying was true...  
>"I love you Draco" you said softly looking up into his pale ice blue eyes.<p>

He smiled and gently lifted your chin up to place a tender kiss on your lips. It started out innocent, but it became more fervent and hungry as you poured all the emotion you were feeling into it. You felt his tongue enter and explore your mouth and his hands begin to glide up from your hips to your torso tracing every intricate curve of your body. You gasped as he loosened your tie and moved his soft lips down your neck; unbuttoning your white colored shirt as he did.

That overwhelming feeling of rightness swept over you again and passion flowed through your veins. It was all so perfect... The stars in the sky, the soft breeze ruffling your hair, the feeling of his hands against your bare skin and his soft, sweet lips against yours... It was like the entire world had stopped and only you two were left moving. There was no Voldemort, no Bellatrix Lestrange, no Pansy Parkinson, no prophecy... just you and him alone under the starry night sky.


	34. Chapter 34

**RECAP: He smiled and gently lifted your chin up to place a tender kiss on your lips. It started out innocent, but it became more fervent and hungry. You felt his tongue enter and explore your mouth and his hands begin to glide up from your hips to your torso tracing every intricate curve of your body. You gasped as he loosened your tie and moved his soft lips down your neck; unbuttoning your white colored shirt as he did.  
>That overwhelming feeling of rightness swept over you again and passion flowed through your veins. It was all so perfect. The stars in the sky, the soft breeze ruffling your hair, the feeling of his hands against your bare skin and his lips against yours... It was like the entire world had stopped and only you two were left moving. There was no Voldemort, no Bellatrix Lestrange, no Pansy Parkinson, no prophecy... just you and him alone under the starry night sky…<strong>

'_I should not be doing this I should not be doing this..._' you thought as your shirt slipped down to the ground. But then you felt his soft lips press up against yours again and you couldn't help but moan a little with pleasure. '_Oh screw it, I am doing this..._' you decided as the amazing feeling of rightness you got when you were with him overcame you.  
>"We don't have to do this, if you don't want to" Draco asked breathlessly; his face just mere centimeters from yours. His intense blue eyes were gleaming even in the darkness, their beauty made you nearly melt in his arms.<br>"No... I want to" you whispered in reply.

You and Draco walked down the stairs and slipped into the darkness of the hallway to sneak back to your Common Room to try and get at least an hour of sleep before classes. But you knew you would never be able to get to sleep after what had just happened... you had never felt so amazing, so on top of the world in your life. All the pain you had been feeling had been pushed temporarily out of your mind.

Just as the two of you exited the astronomy tower you saw two people walking out through a door on the other side of the hallway, it was the door that led into the Room of Requirement... you found yourself face to face with Ron and Hermione. Hermione's normally frizzy hair was sticking out even more than usual and shirt was considerably wrinkled; Ron was flushed red and both seemed out of breath.  
>You and Draco looked pretty suspicious yourselves. Your wavy hair was sticking up in a million different directions and a lot of your shirt buttons were still undone in your haste. Draco's shirt was unbuttoned on top and his tie was draped over his shoulder.<br>The four of you just stood there staring awkwardly at each other for lack of anything to really say. 

"Astronomy tower, huh? Funny I was expecting the Charms classroom" Hermione finally spoke with a smirk on her face.  
>"I'd watch it little Miss Room of Requirement" you retorted.<br>"Look, we won't tell, if you don't tell" Ron suggested.  
>"Deal" you all said in unison before taking off in different directions. You and Draco toward the Ravenclaw Common Room and Hermione and Ron toward the Gryffindor one.<p>

"Well that was fun..." Draco said with a smile still plastered on his gorgeous face as the two of you stopped in front of the portrait leading into the Ravenclaw Common Room.  
>"Yeah, that was nice" you agreed chuckling slightly before leaning up to kiss him softly on the lips. "Rather interesting running into Herms and Carrot Top" you both laughed.<br>"Yeah well if they say anything, they are going down too" he responded.  
>"You bet they are" you said with a wink before becoming more serious. "Thank you for everything Draco, I don't know what I would do without you" you said earnestly.<br>"I would go mental probably" he replied.  
>"Yeah, probably" you agreed with a chuckle. "I love you... see you tomorrow?"<br>"Count on it" he replied kissing you again, "I love you too" he whispered as you slipped through the portrait hole to _attempt_ to get some sleep.

"What is up with you two?" Harry asked you and Draco suspiciously the next morning.  
>"What ever do you mean Mr. Potter?" you asked cheerfully. You had been acting strangely delightful that morning and a stupid grin was still stuck on your face since last night; you had even woken up smiling.<br>"Yeah, I don't know what you are talking about" Draco added trying to sound casual, but it was hard to believe him with that goofy smile on his face.  
>Harry raised and eyebrow at the both of you before turning to Ron, "You know what is up with them?" he asked.<br>"Uh- erm- no idea" Ron replied nervously, not looking Harry in the eye; he had always been a pretty terrible liar. You noticed Hermione wink at you across the table and you fake glared back.  
>"You know what, I don't even want to know" Harry said finally giving up.<p>

After a dreadfully long day of classes that took all the effort in the world to stay awake for, thanks to your _lack of sleep_ the night before, you still had to go with Harry to your first Occlumency lesson with Snape.

"How much is this going to suck?" you moaned as the two of you sauntered down the hall.  
>"You have no idea..." Harry mumbled looking just as depressed about having an extra class as you. "Snape is going to bloody torture me, like he did last time I had to go through this" he complained.<br>"Is he really going to try and enter our minds? Because honestly it is a pretty scary place in the mind of Anna Darcy... I don't know if he can handle it" you said seriously.  
>Harry laughed, "I would be pretty scared to go inside your mind Anna" he said.<br>"It is a twisted place in here..." you said as you opened the door to the dungeons.

"You are late" Snape snapped as you and Harry trudged reluctantly into his office. "I don't appreciate tardiness, you will be on time next time unless you want to add to that detention you already have with me Miss Darcy and you Mr. Potter will be joining her if you make me wait again".  
>"Yes sir" you and Harry both replied mechanically in monotone voices.<br>"Alright then... now let us get this over with. I am going to enter your mind and you must try to force me out. Do not let me break through, you can use any spell you want to try and defend yourselves" he added.  
>"You mean I can send any spell I want at you and you can't give me detention?" you asked, your mood brightening considerably at this.<br>"Yes Miss Darcy, that is correct. But I wouldn't get too excited, I will put up a fight" he said with a twisted smile that made you somewhat nervous. "Now let's begin... Potter you'll go first since you have _some_ experience".

Harry grudgingly left your side and stepped out in front of Professor Snape, with a combination of anxiety and determination on his face.  
>"Get you wand ready, when I count to three we start" Snape said and Harry raised his wand. "One... Two... Three..." and Snape yelled out a spell. Snape eyes were closed and he was muttering under his breath; an anguished look had appeared on Harry's face. He looked like he was in terrible pain and perhaps suffering from bad constipation to your amusement. But then you remembered you would soon be in his shoes, which wiped the smile right off of your face.<p>

Suddenly Harry collapsed to the ground and grasped at his head, "GET OUT!" he yelled "THOSE ARE PRIVATE!" he yelled again and Snape stopped muttering.  
>"Poor performance Potter, you let me break into your mind with ease" Snape hissed.<br>"Whatever..." Harry mumbled looking very upset, which didn't give you too much confidence.

"Your turn Darcy, get your wand ready" Snape ordered. You shot Harry a worried look before slowly walking out in front of Professor Snape. You lifted your wand in front of you; your hand was shaking rather violently at this point. What if Snape got into your mind? What if he saw things you didn't want anyone to see, especially him. Like those nights with Draco in the tower or the DA meetings. Your heart was pounding out of your chest as he raised his wand and slowly counted to three. '_You can do this Anna... You have to stay strong..._' you thought trying to encourage yourself.

"...Three" Snape finished and then suddenly it felt like someone had whacked you over the head with a block of wood. It felt like a migraine multiplied by ten or like someone was trying to split your head in two.  
>You tried as hard as you could to fight back, but no matter how hard you pushed yourself no words would leave your mouth. You wrist would not move to flick your wand; you were completely powerless. Then you felt it... you felt Snape actually <em>enter<em> your mind and your memories began to flash by like a movie.

There was young you playing in the Darcy's backyard with their old dog Molly in your favorite blue jumper... Then you were a little bit older about eleven, you were on the Hogwarts Express searching helplessly for a compartment. Then you stopped and entered one with a much younger Harry and Ron inside, who both smiled and greeted you kindly. Then with another flash it was you this summer, you were on Oliver's porch swing and he was kneeling in front of you holding out the diamond engagement ring.  
>"No..." you said through clenched teeth, "No!" You did not want Snape seeing that, you did not want anyone seeing that. And then another memory popped up. You were sitting in the astronomy tower in Draco's arms, he was whispering something in your ear and you were giggling. "NO!" you yelled this time much louder and stronger, "STUPEFY!" you screamed aiming blindly to where you thought Snape was standing.<p>

You heard a loud crash as you fell down to your knees clutching your head in your hands, but slowly the headache began to fade. You blinked your watery eyes open and looked across the room to see Snape on the ground looking very unhappy.

"Very well Miss Darcy... you let me inside your head, which means you did in fact fail, but you managed to get me out... which is more than I can say for Potter" he sneered.  
>'<em>I guess that is nicest compliment I am going to get out of him<em>' you thought as you stood yourself up from the ground.

"So... how bad did I hurt you, eh?" you asked trying not to laugh out loud as you did.  
>His lip curled at your comment, "I will be back shortly. I need to go see Madame Pomfrey about this" he snapped showing you a bleeding cut on his arm.<br>"Hah! So I did hurt you! I mean erm- sorry about that sir" you finished looking down at your feet.  
>You could feel him glaring at you; "Stay down here and do <em>not<em> touch anything or you will be in detention for the next month, got it?" he hissed before sweeping out of the room.

"Well that was a bloody blast" you said sarcastically as he left.  
>"Well what did you expect?" Harry asked, "I wish I could have gotten a spell off like you... He saw some pretty private stuff" he mumbled angrily.<br>"Yeah same here" you responded, "So you ready for a little revenge?" you asked with an impish grin on your face.  
>"What are you talking about?" Harry asked sounding very intrigued.<br>"Well we are in Snape's office alone! Hell this is like a prankster's dream right now and I am certainly not going to waste it" you responded.  
>"What are you thinking?" Harry asked, mischief twinkling in his emerald eyes.<br>"Well..."


	35. Chapter 35

**I. Do. Not. Own. This was originally written by StarryEyedLove on Quizilla but her evil cousin deleted all her stories. Someone sent me these and I thought I would share them with the rest of you lovelies... So! Without further ado, I give you... Meetings in the Tower. Happy Reading!**

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><p>You and Harry skipped down the hall the next morning looking much too cheerful for two students on their way to Advanced Potions. Blaise was just staring at you both as if you had gone completely and totally insane.<p>

"What in bloody hell is wrong with you guys?" Blaise asked cocking an eyebrow. "I mean I already knew Anna was a nutter, but this is a whole new extreme. We are going to Potions, remember _Potions_... the most boring, hardest class in the school!" he exclaimed.  
>"Oh but this, my friend, is a very special Potions class" you replied with a bright smile. "I think you will actually find this one quite entertaining as well".<br>"Oh yes, quite entertaining indeed" Harry agreed with a stupid grin on his face.  
>"You- <em>you<em> did something and you corrupted Harry and dragged him along with you" Blaise said pointing his finger accusingly at you.  
>"You will just have to wait and see" you responded walking quickly down the stairs; you didn't want to be late for Potions today.<p>

The three of you sat in your regular table toward the back of the classroom. You and Harry had to avoid making eye contact, because every time that you did you burst out into laughter making you look a little suspicious to say the least. Blaise kept inquiring what was going on, but neither you nor Harry was going to give it away.

As Snape swept into the room all conversations stopped like usual; he rapped the board with his wand and the directions for a healing potion appeared on the board. "Today we will be making a mild healing potion, but before we get to that you will be assigned new seats" he said with a smirk.  
>Everyone groaned in unison at these words, "I think we are great right where we are!" you voiced your opinion.<br>"That is nice Miss Darcy, but frankly I don't care what you think" he replied callously, "Now everyone gather your books and stand at the back of the room and wait for me to call your name with your new seat" he ordered.

"Zabini, Smith" Snape called out first.  
>"Bloody hell... first row and I am next to that prat" Blaise muttered angrily. Blaise and the Hufflepuff boy Zacharias Smith had never gotten along very well. He had accused Blaise of being a Slytherin spy at the second DA meeting and ever since they hadn't spoken to one another, only glared across the room. Snape must have noticed which is why he sat them together.<p>

He called out more names, always seating enemy with enemy. "Potter, Bullstrode" he called out and Harry's face turned sheet white.  
>The burly Slytherin girl with short, tangled brown hair and a rather fierce unibrow glared over at Harry before walking toward her new seat. "Anna, I'm scared" he whispered to you and you couldn't help but chuckle when you realized he was serious.<br>"You'll be fine, just make sure she doesn't accidentally sit on you" you warned teasingly. Your comment didn't seem to amuse him though; it actually seemed to make him more nervous as he reluctantly took his seat.

Finally there were only two tables and four people left to be seated. There were you, Hannah Abbott, Padma Patil, and Pansy Parkinson all left standing.  
>"Darcy..." Snape started to announce and you crossed your fingers, '<em>Please say Abbott, please say Abbott...<em>' you thought desperately to yourself. "...Parkinson" he finished with a triumphant smile on his face. '_Oh bugger_' you thought as Pansy glowered at you before plopping down into her chair; you rolled your eyes and sat down beside her.

"Why do you like to seat us with enemies?" you asked Snape bluntly from your seat.  
>"Why? Do you and Miss Parkinson not like each other?" Snape asked innocently.<br>Pansy snorted and muttered something under her breath, while you cocked an eyebrow at him, "Don't pretend like you didn't know that, I mean you are not _that_ dense" you responded making a few people around you giggle.  
>"You are pressing your luck Darcy, I would love to add another detention to your already long list of them believe me" he threatened. "Ten points from Ravenclaw for insulting a professor" he snapped. You didn't protest any further, just smiled. You would get your revenge soon enough...<p>

Soon the class was working away on making their potions. You were cutting up unicorn horn, while Pansy was stirring the potion shooting you dirty looks every now and then. You poured the unicorn horn inside the pot and then reached for the next ingredient, Green Dragon's Blood. You picked up the vial that was _supposed_ to hold the blood and handed it to Pansy, "Pour it in" you ordered.  
>"Don't tell me what to do Darcy! I don't take orders from filthy blood traitors like you" she sneered ripping the vial from your hand and glaring at you. You just smiled sweetly back at her as she poured the <em>blood<em>inside.

Pansy yelped a little when she looked down at your potion, it had turned a violent shade of orange instead of the mauve color it was supposed to be and the cauldron began to smoke and splutter. You looked around to see everyone else's potion was beginning to do the exact same thing. Harry turned and winked at you and you had to do your best not to burst out laughing.

"What is happening?" Pansy screeched as the foamy, orange potion began to boil over.  
>"What did you all do?" Snape hissed his lip curling in frustration. Didn't you nitwits read the bloody directions on the board?" he yelled.<br>"As soon as I poured in the Dragon's Blood it got like this" Stacey Rowland said looking on the verge of tears, she had never gotten below an 'O' on any assignment in her life.  
>"You all are bloody idiots! This is supposed to be an advanced class and you can't do a simple healing potion!" he snapped pulling out his wand. "Scourgify!" Snape shouted at the orange liquid oozing over the ground. You smiled to yourself as he did this; it was exactly what you had been planning on him doing.<br>When Snape yelled the cleaning charm the orange liquid did not disappear like it was supposed to... No instead it all turned into a muddy substance, making the entire classroom a swamp. Everyone was covered in mud and ooze except for you and Harry who had conveniently been able to duck under the table in time.  
>"WHAT IN BLOODY HELL IS THIS?" Snape yelled turning scarlet with anger. "Scourgify!" he shouted again, but it only made it worse. More mud appeared as well as grasses, small trees, rotten logs, and various swamp animals.<p>

You were doubled over with laughter as were Harry, Blaise, and a few other students who figured out this had to be someone's ingenious prank... all of them were think it had most likely been you. The other students though were looking around the room engulfed in confusion of what was going on. The girls were screaming and whining about the mud, "THESE ARE NEW SHOES!" you heard someone yell behind you and you knew it had to be Padma.  
>You actually fell to the ground in laughter when you turned to look at Pansy standing beside you; she looked like the creature from the deep. Mud was splattered across her face and there some sort of seaweed like plant stuck in her hair. "Shut your bloody trap Darcy!" Pansy screeched kicking mud at you.<br>"I know you did not just do that!" you exclaimed taking up some mud in your hand and flinging it smack dab into her face.  
>"AH! PROFESSOR!" she whined, "Anna threw mud at me!"<br>"She started it" you said with a smirk.

"YOU! You did this!" Snape accused pointing directly at you, fury in his voice.  
>"Me?" you asked feigning hurt, but you were still laughing lightly. "I would never professor! What makes you think it was me?" you asked.<br>He glared at you knowing that he had no proof you had done this, "I will get you Miss Darcy... you will not be getting away with this one" he threatened.  
>"Professor... I am hurt, I really am" you responded innocently.<p>

You, Harry, and Blaise trudged into the Great Hall with the other students who had just come from Potions. You were all caked with mud, but couldn't clean yourselves up using the scourgify charm. To your amusement Padma had tried and ended up making hers even worse.

"What did you do?" Hermione snapped sitting down in front of you at lunch and giving you a pointed look.  
>"Why does everyone think that I did this?" you exclaimed at her question. She was at least the one hundredth person to ask you that in the last twenty minutes.<br>"Because you, Anna Darcy, are the only one capable of such a brilliant stunt" Draco laughed coming up from behind you and kissing your less muddy cheek as he sat down in the unoccupied seat beside you.  
>"Brilliant, eh? Yes I suppose it was rather brilliant" you agreed with a twinkle in your eyes. "Alright, alright Harry and I did it last night..." you whispered to your six best friends who had huddled around you.<br>"Yep! You hear that, I helped!" Harry said proudly.  
>"Yeah, I was too bloody short to reach the damn vials" you said bitterly.<br>Everyone laughed, "So how did you do it?" Luna asked curiously; you took a deep breath and prepared to tell your tale.

"Alright listen up my friends... Snape left Harry and me alone in his office last night. Well I couldn't just not do anything, right? So I was flipping through stuff on his desk looking for something good to sabotage and I stumbled across his lesson plan. Turns out he had planned on having us make healing potions the next day, which I thankfully knew all the ingredients too. I also happened to know the ingredients to the homemade swamp that I helped Fred and George make back when I was in fifth year to torture Umbridge; they are very similar potions. I just switched around a few labels on the ingredients and there you go!" you said happily. "It can only be cleaned up the muggle way, Filch is going to have a bugger of a time" you laughed.  
>"Uh- Anna you have a detention this Saturday with Snape remember? What if he makes <em>you<em> clean up the mess?" Hermione inquired.  
>"Oh shoot..." you mumbled, "Well let's just hope he isn't as clever as you Herms" you said hopefully.<p> 


	36. Chapter 36

"Are you nervous?" you asked as you and Draco walked down the hall hand in hand. You were on your way to the first DA meeting with Draco; you were curious to how people would react to him being there.  
>"A little I guess" he replied honestly, "Not everyone is as accepting as you all are. And Blaise said that they are still wary of him; I don't stand a chance if they don't trust him yet" he mumbled.<br>"You will be fine" you assured him squeezing his hand tightly, but you weren't sure if what you were saying was the truth.

You walked past the place where the Room of Requirement appeared three times thinking of the DA room and suddenly the door appeared. You grabbed Draco's hand again and slowly led him inside. Mostly everyone had already arrived, they were all talking happily together and looking at books, but the conversation stopped when Draco walked inside. Their mouths dropped and their eyes turned into two slits when they spotted him. You looked back and saw Draco's pale blue eyes shining with anxiety.

"Hey everyone, how are you all?" you asked politely trying to smile.  
>"Fine" Lavander replied shortly.<br>"What is _he_ doing here?" Michael Corner sneered not looking too thrilled with his presence.  
>"He can't be trusted; he is a Slytherin" Zacharias sneered, earning an unappreciative glare from Blaise.<br>"He is on our side now everyone; he is not the Draco Malfoy you all used to know okay? I trust him, Anna trusts him, and Dumbledore trusts him. That should be enough for all of you" Harry said firmly. Everyone nodded eventually, but still looked very apprehensive of him no matter what Harry said.

You heard the door swing open again and you looked behind you to see Parvati Patil walking in slowly followed by Padma Patil. You did a double take when you saw her; Padma had never shown up to a DA meeting before. "What are you doing here?" you asked somewhat coldly raising an eyebrow at her.  
>"Parvati told me about the meetings and I wanted to come" she replied. "I may not be your favorite person in the world Darcy, but I am not evil, I want to get rid of Voldemort just as much as you do" she said firmly.<br>You nodded and she looked at you like she was expecting you to lash out and tell her to leave at any second, but "Welcome to the DA" was all you that came out of your mouth.

"This is a very special meeting tonight my friends" you said getting up to the front of the room.  
>You, Harry, and Hermione who were the DA representatives and Dumbledore had had a meeting early that day and had finally decided it was finally time. Since most of the DA members were in their seventh year and would be leaving Hogwarts next year, Dumbledore decided it was time to tell them about the Order of the Phoenix, as well as time to induct them into the prestigious league if they were up to the challenge.<p>

"The majority of you only have about six months left here at Hogwarts before we are thrown out into the real world. We will no longer have this school or Dumbledore to protect us; Voldemort is strong and in power and we are at war. Voldemort has his Death Eaters, but Dumbledore has an army as well. This army is known as the Order of the Phoenix and they are an elite group of wizards who have pledged to defend the wizarding world with their very lives. As members of the DA you have been invited to join this group; we are the future of this world and we must do whatever we can to keep Voldemort from taking over. We are the final line of defense and I am not going to lie to you, it is going to be dangerous out there and many of us may die…" when you said this the entire room gasped. You as well as Harry, Draco, and your other friends had become somewhat accustomed with the thought of death after coming face to face with death itself so many times, but many of the other members had never really realized how treacherous their world had become.

"Anna is right" Harry said standing up; he rarely got up in front of the group to make announcements. It was usually your job, but there was a determined gleam in his green eyes, so you took your seat to listen. "I have come face to face with the Voldemort himself as have Anna and others. You do not know fear until you look into his blood red eyes, until you hear his cold laugh that can freeze the very blood in your veins, and see his twisted smile... his teeth are like fangs. You do not know fear until he raises his wand over you and you see your life flash before your eyes. It is okay to be afraid my friends, because we are all afraid no matter how fearless we lead of to be. The important thing is not being fearless; it is being brave and trustworthy. We must stay brave and we must stay true to one another, we are all each other have in this war. When you are confronted with death, you need to face it head on and know that you are dying for the lives of these people around you and the lives of all the good wizards left in this world" he finished and the entire room had gone so silent that you could have heard a pin drop.

You stood up again and put your hand on Harry's shoulder giving it a little squeeze. "Nice speech" you whispered with a small smile on your face before turning to the other members. "If you agree to join this group you will of course be putting your life on the line, you will also be taking an oath that you will stay true to the Order, betrayal will not be taken lightly. None of you will be looked down upon if you leave the room right now" you paused and waited, but no one stood to leave. "I thought so" you said with a smile, "Here is the sheet, please come up and sign your name if you wish to join" you explained laying the list down upon a desk in the front of the room.

Slowly the entire room began to file up and sign their name on the sheet. There was strength and determination in all of their eyes; they were each fighting for something. Some were fighting because they were muggle born, looked down upon and discriminated against by the purebloods. Some were fighting for their friends, some for their family, some against their family, and some for the ones they loved. But they were each fighting for something, something that was worth even the ultimate price of death to them.

You looked down at the list when it had finally been completed...

_Harry Potter  
>Anna Darcy<br>Hermione Granger  
>Draco Malfoy<br>Ronald Weasley  
>Blaise Zabini<br>Luna Lovegood  
>Ginny Weasley<br>Seamus Finnigan  
>Dean Thomas<br>Neville Longbottom  
>Zacharias Smith<br>Hannah Abbott  
>Susan Bones<br>Justin Flitch-Fletchy  
>Ernie MacMillan<br>Parvati Patil  
>Padma Patil<br>Lavander Brown  
>Michael Corner<br>Adam Lyndon  
>Colin Creevey<br>Dennis Creevey  
>Remy Lewis<em>

You smiled as you looked over the twenty-four names on the list and smiled to yourself; you trusted each one of these people with your life and could not have imagined a better group of people by your side when the time came to fulfill your destiny and your part in the prophecy.

"You want to go for a walk by the lake?" Draco asked that day at lunch.  
>"You know I can't you git, I have to serve detention with Professor Snape" you moaned.<br>"Oh come on ditch him, you know you want to" he said kissing you tenderly on the neck and running his fingers over your thigh making pleasant chills shoot down your spine.  
>"Oh stop tempting me..." you whined as he continued to kiss you. The soft, sweet feeling of his lips against your skin was almost too much. All you wanted to do was spend your free Saturday sitting, talking, and kissing him, but no. No, you had to go spend two hours with Snape. "I have to go learn to keep my mouth shut in his class" you chuckled as he cupped your cheek gently in his hand.<br>"Well we have always have Sunday" he sighed. "I'll see you later" he said kissing you sweetly on the lips running his fingers through your hair.  
>"Goodbye" you said reluctantly pulling away from him, "Wish me luck" you laughed.<br>"Good luck, love!" he called as you left the hall still munching on a peanut butter sandwich.

You walked down to Snape's office where you were supposed to be meeting him... ten minutes ago. "'Ello there Professor!" you greeted cheerfully walking into the office, "Aren't you happy to see me on your weekend?"  
>"<em>Delighted<em>" he answered coldly. "Ten points from Ravenclaw for being late" he sneered.  
>"Fantastic! I haven't gotten enough points docked off this week; the other Ravenclaws were actually starting to talk to me. It was getting a little weird" you commented.<br>He raised an eyebrow at you when the door swung open again; "S-sorry I am l-late professor... I l-lost my wand" Pansy Parkinson gasped.  
>"That is okay Miss Parkinson" he said simply.<br>"WHOA! WHAT? I get ten points docked off for being late and she gets a '_That is okay Miss Parkinson_'? I am sensing some Slytherin favoritism going on here and I must say I don't appreciate it" you exclaimed. "Why are you here anyways?" you asked turning to Pansy.  
>"McGonagall was being a bitch" Pansy replied glaring maliciously at you.<br>"Watch the language Parkinson" Snape warned; you knew if she had insulted any other teacher that she would have lost points, but there was quite the rivalry between McGonagall and Snape. "Now you two will be doing a rather menial task for me today, you two will be cleaning my classroom..."


	37. Chapter 37

"Oh bugger... he is as clever as Hermione" you muttered to yourself miserably.  
>"You <em>cannot<em> be serious Professor! It is bad enough being stuck with her for two hours" she said pointing and looking at you with disgust on her face, "But cleaning up that filth, this is an outrage! Why don't you get the damn house elves to do it, huh?" she asked angrily.  
>"Because their sole purpose on this earth is not to wait on wizards hand and foot" you snapped at her. You hated the way pureblood wizards as well as just regular wizarding families treated house elves. Although you weren't as radical as Hermione; you did think they deserved much more respect than they received from their masters.<br>"Shut up Darcy, some of us aren't accustomed to doing tedious muggle chores. Some of us here are _real_ wizards" Pansy hissed back in response.  
>"Oh and I suppose by some of us, you mean you right? You know, I would really like to know what defines a <em>real<em> wizard in your book Parkinson. Because if it is being a stuck up, arrogant little bitch who wouldn't know compassion or kindness if it came up and bit her in the arse than you exceed the qualifications" you quipped.

You and Pansy argued like this for nearly ten minutes and to both of your surprise Professor Snape did not even try to stop you. He just sat back in his desk chair and watched the two of you go at each other's throats with an expression of pure amusement on his face.

"Alright settle down both of you" he finally snapped when he had received an adequate amount of entertainment for the day. You and Pansy both instantaneously fell silent at his words, but you continued to glare at each other mercilessly. "You will be cleaning my classroom in the muggle fashion" he said pulling out two buckets full of soapy water, some rags, and two mops, "I will be back in two hours time to release you. I expect at least half of this classroom to be spotless by the time I come back, I also expect that you two won't kill each other while I am absent" he said giving you both warning glances.  
>"I wouldn't count on that one mate" you chuckled sardonically under your breath.<br>"Also if you do magic, I will know. I have my ways" he warned. "Anyways... I suppose that is all. Behave yourselves and get the work done or you will find yourselves coming back here next Saturday to alphabetize my potions" he advised before walking out of the office.

You picked up a bucket and mop before continuing to walk over into the Potions classroom; Pansy followed closely behind looking nothing short of pissed. You had cleaned the muggle way before when you lived at the Darcy's, that is how they enjoyed punishing you when you did something wrong... like that time you almost blew up the kitchen. So you just took the mop and dipped in the water and started to clean the disgusting muck and grime, which you had helped create.

"You are pretty talented at cleaning the muggle way there Darcy" Pansy sneered when she noticed you had already cleaned nearly a third of the classroom.  
>"Yup, looks like it" you muttered back, not in the mood to chat.<br>"I suppose it is, because you lived with those stupid Scottish mudbloods for so long, huh? Did they actually teach you how to clean the muggle way? No better than muggles they were, but thankfully now they are dead, right Darcy?" Pansy asked in a mock cheerful voice.  
>"How the hell- Did you just bloody say that?" you snapped back feeling the anger inside you begin to boil. She had just insulted the people who had become like parents to you. She said they deserved death; they had never deserved death... They were beautiful people, if anyone deserved it; it was people like Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange.<br>"You heard me right Darcy" she replied with a smirk, looking pleased that what she said had gotten to you.  
>"The Darcys did not deserve death, it is people like Voldemort-" Pansy's eyes flashed with anger when you said his real name, "-and his Death Eaters who deserve it! Are you a little Death Eater now my dear? Is that how you know all about my parents? Is it?" you hissed venomously.<p>

Pansy did not respond to your question, instead she lifted one of her robe sleeves to reveal the Dark Mark tattooed on her arm. You were slightly taken aback for a second, but when you thought about it, it did make sense. Dumbledore had been recruiting older students for the Order already, why wouldn't Voldemort be doing the same? You wondered how many other Slytherins had the Dark Mark hidden under the robe sleeves. You wondered how many students knew about your parents and about you being on Voldemort's most wanted list. You also wondered how many of them he had plotting against you.  
>It took seeing the Mark on Pansy's arm for you to realize that you were not as safe as you thought that you were at Hogwarts. There were young Death Eaters in training walking around every corner, watching your every move. There was only so much that Dumbledore could do to protect you.<p>

"What? You think you intimidate me, because you have a silly tattoo on your forearm?" you scoffed.  
>"The Dark Mark is not something to be taken lightly Darcy, it is only given to those who meet the Dark Lord's standards" Pansy countered.<br>"And his standards are what exactly? As long as you are a pureblood and don't mind killing innocent people for a living?" you hissed in reply.  
>"They are not innocent! They are filthy! They are filthy, dirty mudbloods who deserve to die!" she yelled back her face reddening with anger.<br>"That is bullshit! And you know what; you can tell your stupid master to kiss my ass! I know he wants to kill me, but it ain't going to happen. He will fall in the end Parkinson and you'll be thrown into Azkaban prison for the rest of your bloody life! Does that sound like fun to you?" you screamed back.

At your words a look of malice and downright hatred spread across her face and her cold gray eyes narrowed into two slits. The next second happened so fast that you never had time to react... She pulled her wand out of her cloak pocket, pointed it at you, and screamed a spell you have never heard before at the top of her lungs and slashed her wand like a sword. A dark purple colored jet of light shot straight at you and hit you in the stomach. For a moment it felt like all the life had been sucked out of you, like you were just a soulless body. But then a stringing pain began to shoot through you stomach like someone had slashed it open. Your surroundings became less and less clear and before you knew it, you had passed out on to the ground...

_Voices... so many voices that you could not recognize all rang through your head from the darkness that was all you could see. They were all telling you to do something different, all pressuring you to make a decision..._

"Anna... Anna remember what you promised"_ a voice called_, "Remember what you are here to do, remember who you are loyal too_" it urged on._

"Give the wand to him girl or you know what will happen. Everything you ever wanted completely gone with just a flick of my wrist and you know I will do it"_ another voice threatened drowning out the first, whose voice had become a mere whimper._

_"_Don't listen to him Anna, don't listen to him! You know what is right! Do what you have to do!"_ another voice called. This voice made your stomach churn with the words it was saying._

_"_Come on my little Bella... make the right choice or you will be sorry in the end. I will let you be happy, which is more than they can offer"_ a fourth voice joined in. The voice was cold and cruel with cruelty dripping from every word. You didn't trust this voice. You just wanted to get away... the indecision of what voice to listen to was slowly breaking you down._

Your head was pounding painfully as you forced your eyelids open. You looked around the room to figure out where you were. At the sight of the clean white walls, line of beds with curtains, and Madame Pomfrey fiddling with something at her desk, you knew you were in the Hospital Wing.

You looked around more and noticed a sleeping figure in the chair beside you. Draco was curled up in the chair with a thin woolen blanket wrapped around him. He was very pale and there were shadows under his eyes from obvious lack of sleep.

"Draco..." you whispered reaching over and touching him gently on the cheek. He stirred immediately and opened his eyelids to reveal his amazing ice blue eyes. They were so cold, yet so warm and full of passion at the exact same time. Maybe that was what was so entrancing about them.  
>"You- you are awake!" he exclaimed jumping up from the chair and wrapping his arms tightly around your petite frame. "I have been waiting for so long, thank Merlin" he said kissing you on the forehead.<br>"Yes thank Merlin!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed bustling over to you with a vial full of some blue liquid in her hand, she looked thrilled to see you awake.

"Two weeks now darling, we are already in Christmas break" Madame Pomfrey answered, "You were hit with a Dark Spell that You-Know-Who has recently developed according to Dumbledore. It is called the 'Dark Blade' and I am afraid it left a bit of a mark my dear" she said pointing to your stomach. You lifted up your shirt to see what she was talking about and gasped when you saw it. A long dark purple and black scar ran across your abdomen. It looked very much like you had been slashed there with a sword. "It won't go away I am afraid" Madame Pomfrey said apologetically.

You nodded not really sure what to say just yet; you stared at the scar for a moments before speaking again. "When may I leave?" you asked politely.  
>"Whenever you wish my dear" Madame Pomfrey replied with a smile.<br>"Thank you, for taking care of me and everything" you said getting up from the bed. You noticed you were dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt.  
>"Of course dear, anytime" she replied as you and Draco excited the room.<p>

"Okay first of all let me do this..." Draco said as you entered the hallway. In one swift movement he wrapped his arms tightly around your waist and pulled your body up against his catching you off guard. A strange yet wonderful sensation like your stomach was doing gymnastics came over you as you stood there with your hips pressed up against his and your hands resting on his strong, toned chest and shoulders. You stared straight up into his enchanting eyes of ice slightly covered by his long platinum blonde hair and it was then you realized you could never love someone more than you loved this man in front of you, Draco Malfoy.  
>He lowered his face, so his soft, kissable lips were just mere centimeters away from yours. You could feel his warm breath hitting your lips and you longed to kiss him so badly and you could see it in his eyes he wanted you too. He finally lowered his lips down on to yours in one of the most passionate, hungry kisses you had ever experienced with him. One of his hands was gripped tightly around your waist as if he would never ever let you go again. His other hand cupped your cheek and was trembling slightly with excitement, while you ran your fingers through his hair. You felt his tongue enter and explore your mouth and you loved the feeling. He pressed you up against the wall with his body against yours and you couldn't help but moan a little with pleasure... he just tasted so damn good.<p>

"Wow you really must have missed me" you whispered breathlessly when you two finally released, both realizing you were still in school.  
>"You have no idea" he chuckled kissing you lightly on the forehead. "Anyways... second of all I need to fill you in on everything that has happened over these past two weeks. It's been pretty <em>eventful<em> around here" he said and you felt your curiosity rising, but you knew you need to change and shower before you did anything else.  
>"Want to go for a walk after I get changed and showered then?" you asked.<br>"Yeah, sounds great" he replied a beaming smile still on his face. You couldn't help, but smile too. It felt nice to know he had missed you so much.


	38. Chapter 38

You walked into the Ravenclaw Common Room and gasped in surprise. It was decorated beautifully with tinsel and lights and a large Christmas tree was set up in the corner. You were also surprised to see the entire place was deserted except for three third year girls in the far corner chitchatting away in front of the fireplace.

"Hey guys, what is today's date?" you inquired the three girls curiously.  
>The girls looked at you like you had three heads for a second, but then the one with long blonde hair spoke up, "It is December the twenty-sixth" she answered.<br>"The twenty-sixth? You mean Christmas was yesterday?" you gasped.  
>"Erm- yeah it was" another said raising an eyebrow at you like you were mental.<br>"Bloody hell! I missed Christmas..." you said sadly as you walked away from the girls and up the stairs to your dorm. That explained why the Common Room was so deserted, everyone had gone home for the holidays. '_Well at least I won't have to answer any questions about what happened_' you thought trying to look on the bright side as you entered your room.

You were pretty excited to see Padma, Stacey, Abby, and Jane's trunks were all absent from their normal spots. You walked over to your own trunk still sitting in the same spot. There was a large pile of colorfully wrapped presents stacked next to it addressed to you; you decided to open them later on. You pulled out a change of clothes before taking your shower. After you showered you dried your hair and threw on a pair of semi-baggy black pants, a long sleeve gray shirt, and then your winter coat... it was pretty cold outside during winter in England. Then before you left you grabbed up a bag of gifts sitting by your bed that you had bought before Christmas, your friends were going to receive them a little late, but you were pretty sure they wouldn't mind.

You ambled down the stairs feeling a little depressed about missing Christmas and out of the portrait hole to meet Draco, but you stopped short when you saw him waiting right outside the portrait hole.

"Hey there! How long have you been waiting?" you asked.  
>"Oh not long, don't worry" he replied, "You get ready a lot quicker than most girls".<br>"Aye, that is probably because I don't bother with make up" you chuckled.  
>"You don't need any make up" he responded, "You look beautiful just the way you are" he finished brushing a loose strand of your hair behind your ear before wrapping his arms securely around your waist. You felt yourself blush slightly at his comment; he always seemed to know what to say.<p>

"Can we go to the Owlery first? I need to send these presents out" you said as you walked down the hall.  
>"Yeah, of course. So you figured out you missed Christmas, huh?" he inquired.<br>"Yeah I asked some of the girls in the Common Room. Did they all go to the Burrow?" you asked curiously referring to your group of best friends.  
>"Yeah, they did. They wanted to stay and wait for you to wake up, but Dumbledore said it would be safer for them at the Burrow, because he had to do some business in Scotland over the break. He wanted me to go too, but I kind of tied myself down in the chair" he laughed, "I wasn't about to leave you" he whispered kissing you ever so lightly on the neck, but it was enough to make goose bumps break out on your skin.<p>

For some reason the Owlery had always made you kind of nervous. It was filled with at least three hundred owls all hooting loudly and buzzing around the room at high speeds. You made your way through the maze of bird poop on the ground and picked out three of the Hogwarts barn owls to deliver your gifts for you. "Thanks guys" you cooed before the owls hooted and flew out the windows above.

You walked back over to Draco; now only holding one present in your hand. "Here this one is for you" you said holding it out to him. "I was going to get you something else to go with it, but you know- I didn't really get the chance" you said feeling a little bad it was such a small gift.  
>"Being with you is great enough, you didn't need to get me anything" he replied sweetly as he unwrapped the red wrapping paper. He crumpled the paper up and threw it over his shoulder before looking down at the present. It was a small, brown book with gold writing across the cover. It was called '<em>Danger and Dragons: The Autobiography of a Gringott's Curse Breaker<em>' by Medullas Caesar. He had told you a long time ago that he wanted to become a Curse Breaker for Gringotts after he got out of Hogwarts, so you figured that he might like it.

"You remembered..." he whispered more to himself than to you as a smile spread across his face. "Thank you so much Anna, I'll start reading it tonight" he said wrapping his strong arms around you in a warm, thank you hug.  
>"No problem, I thought you might like it" you said with a bright smile.<br>"Here... I have your present right here" he said pulling a long, rectangular box out of his pocket. "Blaise helped me sneak out to Hogsmeade; I was looking for a long time. I thought you might like this" he said handing it to you.  
>"Aw thank you Draco! I'm sure that I will love it" you said ripping the shiny silver paper off excitedly to reveal a long velvet box, it was definitely jewelry of some sort. You opened it slowly to reveal an absolutely breathtaking silver necklace inside. It had a stunning silver chain that seemed to sparkle and a lovely silver quaffle charm on the end. "Oh Draco... its beautiful" you whispered holding up the necklace in front of your face and admiring its beauty.<br>"You really like it?" he asked hopefully. "I thought you would like the quaffle charm".  
>"I love it" you said earnestly leaning in to kiss him gently on the lips. "Put it on me?" you asked and he nodded taking the necklace out your hands. You turned around and he brushed the hair off of your neck to clasp the necklace on. You shivered a little as his hands touched your bare skin.<p>

You looked down and smiled at the necklace now gleaming from around your neck. You intertwined your fingers with Draco and led him down the hall, "So what has happened while I have been out of it?" you asked.  
>"A lot" Draco answered.<br>"Well thanks for the detailed explanation there Draco" you said sarcastically and he laughed.  
>"Well they were going to expel Pansy from Hogwarts, because Snape came in right after she performed that Dark Blade spell on you" Draco began, "She was locked in the Charms classroom with McGonagall guarding her, while they waited for Fudge to arrive from the Ministry. Well when Fudge finally arrived they all went down the classroom to find McGonagall unconscious on the floor and Pansy gone. They know she could not have done it by herself, because her wand was under a temporary disabling spell at the time, so someone must have come and helped her break out" Draco explained further.<br>"Oh bugger! So that stupid prat is on the loose now? Here I was hoping she got her arse thrown into Azkaban" you muttered angrily as you and Draco walked out the door into the cold, crisp air of that December day. "Is McGonagall alright?" you asked concerned; McGonagall though strong was in fact a very old woman.  
>"Yeah she's fine now; she was in St. Mungo's for awhile though" Draco replied, "She is fortunate they didn't kill her..." he commented.<br>"She really is, Death Eaters hardly ever leave people alive. They must have been amateurs, we have plenty of little Death Eaters in training walking around this school" you said.

"Yeah, we do. Anyways nothing much else has really happened... Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff in the match last weekend and we are going over Patronuses again during the DA meetings" Draco updated you.  
>"Sure, the one week Harry teaches something that doesn't involve shooting dangerous spells at me I am in the bloody hospital!" you exclaimed.<br>Draco laughed, "Don't have the best luck do you my dear?" he said teasingly.  
>"Well it isn't too bad, I got you didn't I?" you responded flirtatiously.<br>"Well that _is_ true" Draco joked with that all too famous smirk on his face.  
>"Augh... I have really got to stop inflating that ego of yours or you might float away one of these days" you teased nudging him playfully in the side. <p>

But you nudged him a little harder than you thought and sent him right into the snow. "Oh woops!" you giggled as he brushed himself off.  
>"Oh- you are going to pay for that one Darcy" he threatened playfully.<br>"Oh really? What are you going to about it, huh Malfoy?" you challenged him.  
>"This" he said simply before literally charging at you. You yelped a little in surprise before bolting away down the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Luckily you were light and fast, so you were able to avoid getting caught right away. "I will get you!" you heard him call from behind you making you laugh and continue running faster. But then suddenly you stopped dead in your tracks, catching Draco off guard who ran right into you knocking you both over to the ground.<br>"What happened?" he asked.  
>"Look..." you whispered looking up at the creature in front of you in awe.<p> 


	39. Chapter 39

**Thanks ever so much to Nickie Carc who supplied me with the stories after StarryEyedLove's demented cousin deleted her account! She. Is. Brilliant.**

In front of you stood one of the most beautiful creatures you had ever seen in your life. No other magical beast could rival it in sheer magnificence and enchantment. It was a pure, brilliant white not marred by a single stain. Its long shimmering, silver mane fell elegantly over its long and slender neck and its tail of the same color swished in the gentle breeze. The creature's eyes were like two shining sapphires, entrancing and marvelous.

"It is so beautiful" you whispered drawing closer to the unicorn that had just emerged from the forest. You ran your fingers softly over it muzzle and down its long, slender neck, its white hair was as smooth as the finest silk. Noticing that Draco had disappeared from your side you looked around to see he had backed up a few steps looking rather nervous; you always thought he looked adorable when he was nervous.

"Draco Malfoy... are you scared of a sweet, little unicorn?" you chuckled teasingly back to him.  
>"I'm not scared" he declared indignantly, "I just- erm- I was just never really very good with animals" he explained backing up a little further.<br>"Oh come here you baby" you laughed taking his hand and pulling him over to the miraculous beast. You lifted his hand and placed it gently on the unicorn's neck, you guided his hand across it with yours on top. You could feel his body trembling slightly beside you. "It is okay" you whispered sweetly in his ear, "I think she likes you" you laughed referring to the unicorn.  
>He smiled back at you, "You think?" he asked becoming a little more comfortable.<br>"I sure do" you answered. The unicorn neighed gleefully and nuzzled you affectionately on the neck before trotting off back into the forest, most likely to find some shelter from the snow that had suddenly began to fall harder.

"So you like unicorns?" Draco asked as the two of you made your way back to the school.  
>"I <em>love<em> unicorns!" you exclaimed, "They are just so- so elegant and beautiful..." you trailed off dreamily. You had always had a strange fascination with the magical creatures, they were so innocent and vulnerable yet there was something almost intimidating about them. And within the delicate creatures was the magic to keep one alive even on the edge of death, but only along with a dark and terrible curse that seemed out of place with something so pure...  
>"You don't strike me as the unicorn type; you do have that weird love for thestrals" Draco laughed.<br>"Ah yes! Thestrals! Also extremely beautiful creatures; they are like dark unicorns in my opinion" you responded. Draco didn't reply, he just smiled and shook his head slightly at you.

"ANNA! DRACO! WAIT UP!" a clearly panicked voice shouted after you as you walked toward the Great Hall to pick up some lunch. You both stopped and spun around instantly to see a petrified and pale looking Professor McGonagall sprinting toward you. Her graying hair, which was normally tied back in a tight bun, was flying behind her and tears were pouring from her dark blue eyes.

"What's wrong Professor?" you croaked becoming nervous all of a sudden. What could have happened to make McGonagall lose her cool like this? She was always so calm and put together; she never seemed to let anything get to her.  
>"Later" she said shortly, "Go to my office <em>now<em>! Use the floo powder and travel to Twelve Grimmauld Place; you will be safe there. Do not delay! I have other business to attend to, now go!" she demanded throwing both you and Draco completely off guard. "GO!" she yelled again glaring at you threateningly. You both jumped slightly and quickly obeyed her demands and took off in a sprint down the hall.

"What the hell do you think is going on?" Draco gasped leaning against the wall in exhaustion as you both entered McGonagall's office.  
>"I have no idea" you replied, "But I know it cannot be good, McGonagall never looses her cool like that. We'd better get going" you added nervously taking a pinch of floo power into your hand and stepping towards the flames of the roaring fireplace. You walked inside and threw the floo powder down, "TWELVE GRIMMAULD PLACE!" you shouted clearly and a strange sensation flooded over you. You were spinning around very quickly and a queasy feeling entered your stomach just as you were thrown roughly onto a hard, wooden floor. You hadn't even looked up yet when you felt Draco's body land right on top of yours with a rather loud crash.<p>

"Oh Merlin! Anna I am _so_ sorry!" Draco exclaimed jumping off you and helping you up.  
>"That's okay Draco" you chuckled brushing yourself off a little, luckily you hadn't gotten too hurt. You finally looked around at your surroundings; you were in a small, dark kitchen with a single rectangular table in the center lined with dining ware. There was no one to be found however. "Hello! HELLO! Is anyone here?" you called out and suddenly an earsplitting, shrieking noise echoed throughout the house.<br>"What in bloody hell is that?" Draco asked as you clung to him in a mixture of fear and shock. You buried your heard into his chest trying desperately to block out the terrible sound. Then you heard another noise; the sound of many voices drawing closer to the kitchen.

The screeching finally came to a stop as the door swung open to reveal a rather frantic looking Harry holding his wand out in front of him. His glasses were askew on his face, his hair was untidier than usual, and he was sweating rather profusely.

"Oh it's just you two..." he sighed when he saw you standing there.  
>"Yeah nice to see you too Potter" you said sarcastically at his less than cheerful greeting.<br>"Oh Merlin... I'm sorry! It's good to see you again Anna, how are you feeling?" he asked kindly pulling you into a warm, welcoming hug.  
>"Better" you replied with a smile, "But what the hell is going on? McGonagall just came and told us to come here as quickly as possible. Something was obviously wrong, she looked panicked and who was screaming?" you inquired.<br>"Sirius' mum, she put a permanent sticking potion on her damn portrait" Harry muttered to your second question.  
>"And we have no idea..." Ron mumbled in answer to your first as he walked into the room, "Hey Anna, Draco" he greeted shortly plopping down into a chair, running his fingers through his long red hair.<br>"Yeah, they aren't telling us anything" Blaise said angrily as he walked in with Hermione, Luna, and Ron's little sister Ginny behind him. He walked over and hugged you tightly as did the rest of them; Hermione and Luna also hugged Draco a little to his surprise.

You all took a seat at the kitchen table, "What do you mean they aren't telling you anything?" Draco asked.  
>"<em>Something<em> happened, we know that much, because panicky Order members have been popping in and out of here all bloody day. But no one sticks around long enough to tell us what that _something_ is and Mum, Fred, George, and Dad have been gone since this morning" Ron answered.  
>"They never even told us that they were leaving! We just woke up to find bloody Professor Snape pacing at the bottom of the stairs!" Ginny exclaimed.<br>"Not something you want to see first thing in the morning..." Luna mumbled.  
>"I wonder if someone else got hurt" you whispered nervously clutching Draco's hand in yours so tightly that you were beginning to cut of his circulation. But he didn't mind; he was squeezing back just as tightly fearing the very same as you. You could tell from the looks on everyone's faces that they were all worrying about the same thing.<p>

Suddenly with a loud crack Remus Lupin appeared in the kitchen. His face was ghostly pale, the bags under his eyes looked worse than ever, and his slightly graying auburn hair was all over the place. "Anna, Draco?" he asked quickly looking around the table before spotting you. "Okay good" he said shortly walking over to the fireplace and taking a pinch of floo power from the pot on the mantle.  
>"Where are you going?" Harry questioned before he could get away.<br>"Hogwarts" he answered curtly.  
>"Oh no you don't!" Hermione said grabbing him by the sleeve, so he could not get away so easily. "What is going on? We are going bloody mental here!" she exclaimed.<br>"Something bad happened, that is all I can say for now. We are doing our best to fix it and catch those responsible, but if you don't let me go now Miss Granger the entire wizarding world may be thrown into utter chaos, I just came here to check that Miss Darcy and Mr. Malfoy were here and safe. Someone will explain everything to you later, but for now you must be patient" he said sternly. Hermione immediately let go of his sleeve and he disappeared into the flames.

"Well that was real reassuring..." you muttered sarcastically burying your heard into Draco's chest again. He wrapped his arms around you tightly and rubbed your back comfortingly.  
>"Shh- it is going to be okay" he whispered to the top of your head before kissing you softly on the forehead.<br>"How do you know that? For all we know- for all we know someone could have died!" Hermione snapped at Draco's words. You looked up to see her caramel brown eyes glossed over with tears; tears of sadness and frustration. Ron stood up and pulled her into a tight hug; he whispered words of comfort in her ear trying his best to calm her down. Luna had rested her head on Harry's shoulder and was staring off blankly into fireplace, while Harry ran his fingers nervously through his hair. Blaise had gotten up and began to pace back and forth in front of the table for lack of something better to do and Ginny just sat there with her head in her hands trembling a little.

Then you all your heads snapped up to look toward the door, as it swung open with a slight bang. Mrs. Weasley walked inside looking very disheveled and nervous; she took a deep breath as she looked at the seven of you gathered in the kitchen. She took the empty seat at the head of the table and opened her mouth to speak...


	40. Chapter 40

"I know you seven have probably been walking around this room restlessly for the past few hours" she began; you noticed how pale she looked. "Now first of all let me just say this... your dad, Charlie, Bill, and the twins are all safe" and a wave of relieved sighs swept over the table.  
>"So what happened?" Ron asked sounding a little impatient, "Order members have been popping in and out of here all day looking scared as hell".<br>"Yes, well it was an eventful day... I suppose I should tell you all this. This morning our former Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was-" she paused and took a deep breath, "-murdered" she finished.

The entire table gasped in unison at her last words. Fudge was murdered? Your eyes widened the size of dinner plates in shock and you clutched Draco's hand even tighter. Ron had fallen out of his chairs, Harry pounded his fist on the table, and Hermione had broken out in tears.

"How? Who? When? Why? Where?" all these questions were shouted out at once and Mrs. Weasley held up her hands to calm you all down.  
>"Please, all in good time" she sighed. "He was murdered by some of Voldemort's supporters no doubt; we are not sure who as of now though. It happened outside his house when he went to get a copy of the Daily Prophet. They did it, because- well he is the Minister of Magic and you cut the head off the bird, the bird stops flying now doesn't it? His wife received some minor injuries, but other than that, thank Merlin, no one was hurt. We have been trying to cover up his death for hours now and trying to prevent anymore attacks" she finished rubbing her temples looking particularly stressed.<p>

You all sat there silent trying to let her words sink in, "Why were you trying to cover up his death?" you asked.  
>"We can't have people knowing about this yet... not until we have a new Minister of Magic. Everything would be thrown into chaos; people would be scared to death if they knew their Minister had been killed. We will announce the death in the morning, since we have agreed on a new Minister" she finished standing up from her chair. "I should really start dinner, the Order has a meeting tonight" she said more to herself than to the rest of you sitting there.<p>

She walked over to the stove and with a few flicks of her wand knives began chopping vegetables and spoons began stirring in bowls. "Erm- Mrs. Weasley... I am sorry to interrupt you, but who is going to be the new Minister of Magic?" you asked voicing the precise same question that was going through everyone else's minds.  
>Mrs. Weasley dropped her wand and it fell to the floor with a clatter. She sighed heavily again and turned around to face you, "My husband..." she answered looking as if tears would fall from her eyes at any second.<p>

"What? D-dad is the new Minister?" Ron asked in shock standing up from his seat.  
>"Yes dear... Dumbledore thought it would be best someone from the Order take over the position and well your father was chosen" she replied wiping her now tear soaked cheeks on her flowered apron.<br>"But he can't be Minister! What if he gets killed too?" Ginny cried out standing up beside Ron.  
>"I know dear, I know" Mrs. Weasley whispered pulling her daughter's small, scrawny body into her arms tightly. "I'm worried too" she admitted, while stroking Ginny's silky ginger hair comfortingly.<br>"This cannot be happening" Ron muttered collapsing down into his chair and burying his head into his hands.  
>"It will be okay Ron... I'm sure it will be okay" Hermione whispered putting her arm around his shoulder and kissing him gently on the forehead.<p>

You were laying down between Draco's legs with the back of your head rested against his chest listening to his heart beating as he stroked your hair absentmindedly. The two of you were sitting on your bed in the room that you and Hermione were now sharing. Blaise was sitting at the foot of your bed leaning up against your bent knees. Luna and Harry were cuddling much like you and Draco on Hermione's bed and Hermione was pacing nervously back and forth in the strip of floor between the two twin beds; running her fingers though her now untidy and extra frizzy brown hair.

"Stop pacing Mione, you are making me dizzy" Blaise said quietly to Hermione.  
>"Sorry" she muttered plopping down on to the floor and burying her face into her hands before bursting out into sobs. You knew she was worried about Ron; he had barely spoken to anyone during the remainder of the day nor had Ginny. The entire Weasley family was all currently gathered downstairs in the living room of Twelve Grimmauld Place; Mr. Weasley, the twins, Charlie, and Bill had all arrived around eight o'clock that night and a family meeting had been called.<p>

Blaise jumped up from his spot on the bed and put his arm around Hermione to attempt to comfort her. She turned and began to cry into Blaise's chest allowing him to wrap his arms around her in a friendly manner. "Don't worry Hermione, I am sure everything will be alright" Blaise reassured her.  
>"Yeah, it will all be okay. There will be plenty of Order members watching over and guarding him after what happened today" you commented.<br>"Exactly" Hermione sighed, "Ron is never going to see him anymore, none of the Weasley children will. And if they do he is going to be surrounded by guards".  
>"It's not Mr. Weasley's fault Hermione; he is brave for taking the position" Luna broke in.<br>"Yeah someone needed to do it" Harry agreed, "We should be proud of Mr. Weasley".  
>"I know, but it is just going to be so hard" she sighed resting her head on Blaise's shoulder.<p>

Ron and Ginny came trudging up the stairs about an hour later looking depressed to say the very least. Hermione was now in Ron's room trying to consol him and Ginny had locked herself away in her room. It was just you, Draco, Harry, Blaise, and Luna left in the room and you were all sitting there in silence. "I wish there was something we could do..." you said quietly resting your head on Draco's shoulder.  
>"There is nothing you can do, nothing any of us can do" a foreign voice replied and you recognized it instantly. Your head shot up and you saw both Fred and George Weasley, your old best mates, standing in the door.<p>

"FRED! GEORGE!" you exclaimed brightening up significantly at the sight of them; you hadn't seen them in over a year now. You bounded off the bed throwing Draco a little off guard and ran over to them. They smiled weakly and each wrapped their arms around you in a warm hug and gave you a friendly kiss on the cheek each. It felt great to see them again.

"How have you guys been? It has been too long" you said when George released you from a hug.  
>"Well, we were doing pretty well up until today" Fred answered sounding slightly depressed. "The shop is doing well though and we've got girlfriends" he chuckled.<br>"_Ooh_! Very nice" you said with a wink. "What are their names?" you asked curiously.  
>"It's Angelina and Katie, yeah our old school crushes seemed to warm up to us after we started making some money" George laughed in reply, "I see you have found yourself a boyfriend too, eh?" he inquired looking over at Draco on your bed.<br>"Yup! I don't believe you guys have really been properly introduced. Draco these are my mates Fred and George, Fred and George this is my wonderful boyfriend Draco" you said. Draco stood up and shook the hands of both Fred and George who were being surprisingly friendly toward him.  
>"Just want to say sorry for putting those puking pastilles in your pie that one time back in fifth year, mate. But you were kind of a bugger back then" Fred said.<br>Draco laughed, "Yeah I kind of was. No hard feelings" he responded with a smile.

"DINNER IS READY!" a voice yelled from the bottom of the stairs; you recognized the shrill, sneering voice as Professor Snape's and cringed involuntarily.  
>"Ah yes- Snape is joining us for dinner" Fred said bitterly and everyone in the room groaned in unison. "I heard you have been making his life hell for us! The whole turning his classroom into a swamp thing... bloody brilliant my dear, bloody brilliant. Glad to see you remember some of our tricks" he added patting you on the back.<br>"Well someone has got to do it without you two there, right?" you chuckled in reply. "Now let's get down to dinner before he comes up to get us" you said grabbing Draco's hand and walking down the stairs with your friends.

When you arrived in the kitchen you saw that the table had grown much longer than it had been previously. A good majority of the Order members were sitting around it all looking very solemn and talking with each other in hushed voices. Dumbledore was seated at the head of the table talking with a very pale Mr. Weasley on his right. On his other side sat Professor McGonagall and Professor Hollows who were talking quietly Tonks, whose hair was currently an unusual neutral brown instead of its customary bubblegum pink or bright purple. Also gathered were Remus Lupin, Snape, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Sturgis Podmore, Charlie and Bill Weasley, as well as a few others that you did not know by name. You blushed a little when Bill waved at you; you had always had a stupid schoolgirl crush on him. He had long red hair tied back in a ponytail, piercing blue eyes, a sexy smile, and dragon fang earring; you waved back and smiled as you and the others silently took a seat at the unoccupied end of the table and glanced around nervously at each other, not sure if you should talk or stay quiet. You looked over at the older members and noticed that many of them were staring at you or Harry, which made you a little uneasy. You began to fidget nervously with your hair and you felt Draco place his hand on your thigh in attempt to try and calm you down.

Shortly after you Hermione walked into the room; her eyes were red and puffy, so you could tell that she had been crying not long ago. Ron and Ginny had not come down yet and you were pretty sure that they wouldn't be coming down that night; they looked pretty bad when you last saw them.

After Hermione walked in two people came in after her, Roger Davies and Oliver Wood. Roger smiled brightly when he saw you and ruffled your hair as he walked by, but became solemn when he took his seat with the older members. Oliver waved at Harry and nodded awkwardly at you as he walked over to sit beside Roger. You felt Draco squeeze your hand a little bit tighter at the sight of Oliver and his ice blue eyes flashed with jealousy.

"Ron and Ginny not coming?" Mrs. Weasley asked gently carrying a plate of chicken in her arms.  
>"No- they um- they are not hungry" Hermione answered somberly taking a seat beside Luna.<p>

Dinner seemed to last a lifetime, because no one really spoke. Everyone just looked down at their plates and slowly ate their food. Finally Mrs. Weasley began to clear everyone plates with her wand and you made the move to stand up and head back to your room for the night, but you were stopped before you could get too far. "Hold on Anna and the rest of you, don't go anywhere yet" Charlie ordered.  
>"Yes, you all are technically members of the Order now" Dumbledore said from the head of the table, "Therefore you should be present for some of our meeting tonight..."<p> 


	41. Chapter 41

**Some of you have said that the 2****nd**** person POV was confusing or unprofessional or whatnot so I made this one 3****rd**** person… Let me know how you like it. I didn't change anything else because I still want to maintain the integrity of the story so… Anyway… Happy Reading!**

Anna halted in mid-step at Dumbledore's words and headed back to her seat. She sat down and once more took Draco's hand, knowing he was there beside her always seemed to comfort her even in the most stressful of situations. "Are you really going to let us stay?" Hermione asked in disbelief, her caramel brown eyes wide in surprise.  
>"Yes Miss Granger, we are going to let you stay" Dumbledore answered, "You are going to be officially in the Order once you are out of school and have taken the oath; you should get used to it beforehand. You will only be allowed to listen to the first half, because it involves you all, especially you, Anna" he sighed making her nervous.<p>

"Okay let us begin..." Kingsley said folding his hands together on the table. He was a tall, somewhat intimidating dark-skinned man, with piercing gray eyes and a small gold earring. "First of all, as you all know, Arthur here is our new Minister of Magic," Anna noticed Mr. Weasley cringe slightly at the comment. "This unfortunately puts the Weasley children in danger, primarily Ginny and Ronald. The Death Eaters will be after some ransom and who better than the Minister's youngest son or daughter? We must ask you all-" he said now looking directly at Anna, Draco, Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Blaise "– to look out for the two Weasley children, because they are in danger" Kingsley ended.  
>"Do you all understand?" Moody growled at the group; Anna flinched a little when she noticed his magical blue eye focused on her.<br>They all nodded together and then Dumbledore began to speak, "Now in other news... we have some bad news for you, Miss Darcy" Dumbledore began, "Do she remember Frederick Martin?" he asked.

Her heart began to beat faster at the mention of Freddie and she felt her blood begin to boil with anger; she remembered when Roger had told her about his becoming a Death Eater. She couldn't believe someone like him would fall to the dark side. "Yeah, of course I do" she replied, "He was one of my best friends".  
>"Well it is now our knowledge that he has become a Death Eater" Dumbledore said.<br>"I am already aware of that" she said shortly; trying not to show how much it upset her to talk about it.  
>"Oh- well that makes this a little easier then... See Anna, we have some spies within Voldemort's circle and they have recently informed us that your old friendship with Mr. Martin has become common knowledge among the Death Eaters" Dumbledore explained.<br>It took a few seconds for what he was trying to say to her to really sink in. Then it hit her, Freddie knew almost everything about her... which meant that now Voldemort would know almost everything about her.

"Oh bloody hell!" she exclaimed suddenly, "That bloody traitor! He is going to tell them everything, he is going to sell me out!" she shouted forgetting there were other people in the room now watching her intently. "He was supposed to be my goddamn friend" she muttered pounding her fist on the table in frustration and irritation.  
>"Yeah unfortunately..." Tonks sighed, "Sometimes people change Anna, we have had to learn that the hard way in the past" she said shooting Harry a sympathetic look. She knew she was referring to Peter Pettigrew's betrayal of Lily and James Potter to Voldemort during the first war.<br>"We must insist that she be extra careful at school now and we must urge she not to wander around after dark unless accompanied by a teacher" Lupin said sternly.  
>"I'll behave" she muttered coldly glaring down at the table; anger was pulsating through her body. "May I be excused?" she asked through clenched teeth as she stood up from her chair.<br>"Yes, she may all go now" Dumbledore replied looking at she with pity.

"Are she okay Anna?" a voice asked from behind she. She didn't turn around to see who it was; she just wanted to be alone. She had stormed off after the meeting and was now hiding away in the small attic. She was afraid if she talked to anyone she would say something that she would regret later on. Fear had captured her heart and anger was running through her; it never really hit her how dangerous it was for her that Freddie had joined Voldemort's side and it made her scared and angry at the same time, which was not a good combination when it came to her.

"Hey it will be okay" the voice said again and she felt someone sit behind her and lean against the piano she was leaning against as well. She lifted her head and turned her tearstained face to look at the person beside her – Bill Weasley smiling weakly.  
>"I just don't know..." she whispered running her fingers uneasily through her hair, "I mean he knows stuff. He knows who is closest to me; he knows who my best friends are... what if they get hurt? I don't want anyone dying because of me" she responded as tears poured from her eyes.<br>"The Order is keeping a close eye on them" Bill reassured her putting his arm around her shoulder, "We'll make sure they stay safe".  
>"But you guys can't always be there. I mean I am one of the people being watched closest and I still managed to almost get myself killed" she mumbled. "What if something goes wrong?" she asked worriedly.<br>"It is a risk we all take by being on this side of the war" Bill answered, "I cannot guarantee that no one will get hurt, actually that is not very likely to happen in this war. But they know the risk they are taking by being close to you and Harry, they know they are in danger... we all do Anna. But we care enough about you that it doesn't matter; we want to help protect you. You are an amazing person Miss Darcy; one worth the risks" he said softly rubbing her shoulder and looking at her in a way he never had before; she felt her stomach do a little flip as he did. She of course didn't have feelings for him like she did Draco plus he was a tad too old for her at twenty-one, but she sure as hell did not mind his attention. She rested her head comfortably on his shoulder and actually felt somewhat comforted by his presence.

"Anna? Anna are you up here?" another voice, one lined with fear, called from the attic door; she recognized this voice instantly as Draco's. She heard him draw closer and then appear from the other side of the piano to face her.  
>"Hey Draco" she greeted with a weak smile wiping her tears on her sleeve. He didn't answer; his eyes just kept darting from her to Bill and then back to her again.<br>"I will just leave you two alone" Bill said sounding reluctant before giving her a kiss on the cheek and disappearing; leaving just her and Draco in the attic together.

Draco sat in the spot beside her, right where Bill had just been sitting, "So are - are you two friends?" he asked suspiciously.  
>"Yeah, I've known him since I've known Ron" she answered, "He is a nice guy... he was just trying to comfort me a little that's all" she explained sensing Draco's qualms.<br>"Oh okay then" Draco responded not sounding entirely convinced though. He probably would have pushed the matter further if she hadn't been so upset. "How are you feeling? You ran out of there pretty quickly" he whispered putting his arm around her waist tightly. She rested her head on top of his shoulder like she had done to Bill.  
>"I am fine I guess, just nervous... I feel like I am putting everyone's lives in danger" she sighed.<br>"Welcome to my world" another voice joined in and Harry appeared from behind the piano and leaned against the window to face her. "its tough Anna, I'm not going to lie to you" he sighed, "But you just got to have faith that everything will be okay in the end".  
>"I guess you are right..." she whispered; but she didn't feel comforted.<p>

She spent the rest of her Christmas vacation at Twelve Grimmauld Place; it was pretty quiet with Ron confined to his room and only a few Order members popping in every now and then. She got a chance to catch up with Roger again, but she avoided Oliver for the most part... although she wished she could be his friend, he didn't seem too keen on talking to her with Draco around. To divert her attention from the seriousness of the war she helped Mrs. Weasley out in the kitchen, spent time with Draco, or played a game of exploding snap with the gang. Fred and George served as pretty good distractions also; the three of them spent a lot of time devising new pranks that she could pull once she got back to Hogwarts. And on top of that, being with Bill had helped put her in a better mood; the two of them often sat in front of the fire talking about Quidditch or the books she had read recently. Draco had to grit his teeth whenever he was around, but she knew he had no real reason to be jealous or so she thought anyways.

"I am going to miss you all so much, now behave and be careful!" Mrs. Weasley ordered as she pulled all of them into a tight, rib-cracking hug. "I expect to see you all here this summer" she said with tears brimming in her sparkling dark blue eyes, "Be good now" she said again before ushering the lot out the door where Oliver, Roger, Remus, Tonks, and a few other Order members were waiting with two cars to transport them all back to the train station safely.

"Hey Anna, wait up!" someone called as she began to enter the car behind Draco. She turned around to see Bill jogging down the steps of with a bag in his hands. "Did you think you were going to get away without a goodbye from old Bill? I might not see you for another six months!" he exclaimed pulling she into a warmhearted hug.  
>"Bye Bill, I'll miss you" she chuckled kissing him innocently on the cheek. "What is that you got there?" she asked pointing to the parcel in his hands.<br>"Oh this? This is for you!" he said handing it over to her, "I think that it will come in handy" he said with a wink. "I'll see you in a few months!" he called jogging back to the house where Charlie was waiting for him.

"What's that?" Blaise asked when she entered the car that he, Anna, and Draco were sharing.  
>"I don't know..." she answered.<br>"Well open it already!" Draco laughed nudging her in the arm; she smiled at him and began to untie the string on top.


	42. Chapter 42

Anna gasped when she saw what was inside the bag. She pulled out the clear blue cloak; the fabric almost felt as if it was made out of water. She read the note attached to it...

_Dear Anna,_

_I thought this might come in handy; it is an invisibility cloak, as you probably already know. I picked it up, while I was visiting Charlie in Romania. Enjoy and please use it responsibly, or as responsibly as you can manage!_

_Your Friend,  
>Bill<em>

"Hah! Now Harry is not the only one with an invisibility cloak" she whispered excitedly to Blaise and Draco, so Remus couldn't hear her. She knew that the other Order members probably wouldn't want her, the Queen of Mischief, with an invisibility cloak.  
>"No way... he gave you an invisibility cloak?" Draco asked in amazement. "Who in their right mind would give <em>you<em> an invisibility cloak?" he chuckled.  
>"Hey!" she exclaimed smacking him jokingly on the arm, "I will use it very responsibly".<br>At this comment both Blaise and Draco snorted in unison, "Do you think I could use it sometime?" Blaise asked.  
>"Yeah me too!" Draco added.<br>"What for?" she asked curiously, cocking an eyebrow at the two boys.  
>"Well my love, your birthday is coming up and all... I need to get you something nice, now don't I?" Draco responded with a bright smile.<br>"Aw- you don't need to get me anything, all I need is you" she replied sweetly leaning in to kiss him. His soft lips brushed up against her and she ran her fingers through his hair. He pulled her tighter to him so that she was pretty much on his lap and deepened the kiss hungrily. She had been really stressed out over Christmas vacation and the two of them hadn't spent much '_alone time_' with each other and she could feel how much he had missed her in his passionate kisses.

"Okay! Okay! Please ease up on the making out, while I'm still here mates!" Blaise exclaimed humorously pretending to shield his eyes in repugnance.  
>"Oh you are just jealous; because you don't have a beautiful girl like I do" Draco taunted him.<br>"Hey! That is a low blow mate, it's not my fault that girls just can't see what an incredible stud I am" Blaise joked, as he began to flex his bicep muscle.  
>She and Draco both laughed out loud; "Yeah that has got to be it mate" she said sarcastically earning a mock glare from him. "Don't worry though, I reckon Parvati Patil has got a little thing for you" she said with a wink.<br>"You think? She is really pretty" Blaise said with a sort of dreamy expression on his face; much like the one that Luna always wore on hers.  
>"Yeah, you should ask her to the ball coming up" Draco suggested. This comment caught Anna completely off guard; there was a ball coming up? When? Why? And how come she had no idea about it?<br>"There is a ball coming up?" she burst out before Blaise got a chance to reply.  
>"Oh yeah! You don't know because you were in the hospital wing!" Draco exclaimed in a sudden rush of understanding. "There is a ball for the fifth years and up and the professors Saturday night" Draco explained, "It is in honor of Madame Pince, she is retiring" he finished.<br>"Madame Pince is retiring? SCORE!" she shouted pounding her fist in the air making both boys laugh. Madame Pince had always hated Anna, since her very first year at Hogwarts. She was always a bit too loquacious in the library and once she had knocked down half the bookshelves... purely by accident of course, but did Madame Pince care?  
>"Yeah she hated you" Draco laughed, "Probably, because you sent me flying into that bookshelf in third year" he said and she snorted in laughter. Anna remembered it well, Draco had purposely knocked the book she was reading out of her hands as a little joke and she instantly spun around and sent him flying with a nice little 'Reducto' curse to the stomach.<br>"Hah! I remember that!" Blaise exclaimed, "Bloody hilarious" he commented and Draco glared jokingly at him. "Sorry mate, but you were a real pain in arse back then" Blaise laughed.  
>"So I am going to have to find a date to this thing, eh?" Anna said in mock seriousness.<br>"Well if you don't mind going with a real pain in the arse, I would love to accompany to the ball, love" Draco said with a sexy smirk on his face.  
>Anna chuckled a little, "I don't know" she said thoughtfully, "I never really was too fond of pain in arses."<p>

Draco feigned a hurt look.

"Oh, why not! You are a cute one at least!" she said pinching his cheek and he genuinely smiled at her; she loved that smile.

"It is kind of funny isn't it? That we were once enemies and now- well now I am in love with you" she said pensively to Draco leaning her head on his shoulder, as he stroked her hair gently. They were sitting on a couch in the Room of Requirement, in front of a roaring fireplace just enjoying time together.  
>"It is kind of funny... to tell you the truth though I always had a little soft spot for you Anna Darcy" he laughed kissing her on the forehead. "I remember sitting at the Slytherin table and always shooting secret glances at the Ravenclaw or the Gryffindor table... depending where you were sitting that day. I knew it was supposedly wrong, but I couldn't help but notice how beautiful you were" he whispered. "And there was something unique about you" he continued, "Something that always seemed to draw me to you, something that always made me nervous whenever I was around you".<br>She smiled at his words; "You used to get nervous around me, huh?" she teased.  
>"Oh Merlin, so bloody nervous!" he responded, "Why do you think I picked on you so much less than the others? I couldn't start stuttering and blushing in front of Crabbe and Goyle, now could I?" he laughed.<br>"And I always thought it was because I had such clever comebacks" she responded.  
>"Well that too..." he admitted.<br>Anna laughed quietly, "I always had a little soft spot for you too, Mr. Malfoy. Somehow I knew you weren't as bad as you led on to be" she said resting her head on to his strong, toned chest. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her gently on the top of the head.  
>"I love you so much Anna" he whispered and she looked up to see the fire reflecting beautifully in his eyes. That feeling of perfection, the feeling of rightness rushed over her again... it was all too perfect.<p>

"We should go to bed" she said as another hour went by, "We do have classes tomorrow and I have Quidditch practice..." she stood up, but he just pulled her right back down on to his lap. "We really should go to bed" she repeated giving him a pointed look as she made to stand up again, but he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist not wanting to let her go.  
>"We can just go to bed here" he said as he started kissing her neck sensually. She moaned a little at the wonderful feeling of his lips against her skin and the feeling of his hands gripping tightly to her hips.<br>"Okay..." she whispered breathlessly, "But don't get used to it" she warned with a smirk.  
>At this a smile spread across Draco's face and he lifted her up into his arms bridal style. He carried her over to a bed that had suddenly appeared and rested her down gently on the silky sheets. He climbed slowly on top of her and began to plant kisses down your neck and on to her collarbone as he unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off on to the ground. She gasped as his hands began to run over her torso; she slipped her hands under his shirt and traced the intricate muscles of his stomach and chest. Her heart was beating out of her chest as he paused for just a moment and looked down at her with those intense ice blue eyes that occupied her every dream and fantasy...<p>

"I love everything about you" he whispered brushing his lips against hers in a sweet kiss.  
>"As do I... as do I..." she whispered back running her fingers over his cheek affectionately. She could see the love radiating in his eyes as he looked down at her; and she had never felt so wanted, so cherished before in her life.<p>

Anna woke up the next morning with her head and arm resting comfortably on Draco's bare chest. She laid there still, just listening to him breathing and admiring the man next to her. '_He is almost too perfect_' she thought as she ran her fingers through his platinum blonde hair and over his pale cheek. She longed to see those ice blue orbs that currently lay hidden behind his eyelids, so she leaned down and kissed him delicately on the lips. He immediately stirred and opened his eyes to look up at her; she caught her breath at the magnificent color of them.

"I love your eyes" she whispered, "A cold exterior, but such a warmth inside of them" she sighed dreamily.  
>"I love your eyes too" he chuckled lightly, "You know I could get used to waking up to such a beautiful face every morning" he commented making her blush scarlet.<br>"And I could get used to waking up beside such an amazing man" she replied making him smile. "We should go, we have classes in two hours" she said standing up from the bed and collecting her clothes that lay sporadically over the floor.  
>"Oh do we have to go to classes?" he asked wrapping his arms around her from behind. He was still shirtless and the feeling of being so close to him sent shivers down her spine. "Why can't we stay here all day?" he whispered seductively into your ear, his warm breath hitting her neck.<br>"Because… we can't" she barely managed to say in her breathlessness. "I will see you in Divination, my love" she said kissing him one last time in farewell and walking out of the room clad in the same clothes that she had been wearing yesterday. She wished desperately that she had brought that invisibility cloak with her as she heard voices approaching from around the next corner...


	43. Chapter 43

**Hello again! Here I experimented with 1****st**** person. Erm… I might not be able to post the rest in a different POV because I'd like to get them out ASAP and it takes a bit to change everything… We'll see… Happy Reading!**

My head darted back and forth looking for anywhere to hide, but of course I was in the one hallway without a giant statue or suit of armor in it. '_Just my luck..._' I thought as the voices drew closer. I thought about fleeing back to the Room of Requirement, but it was already too late.

"Morning Anna!" Blaise greeted cheerily. Luna and Harry were following closely and joined in on greeting me.  
>"Morning mates..." I replied nervously as I tried to smooth out my hair with my hands.<br>"Are you wearing the same clothes as yesterday?" Luna asked cocking an eyebrow at me curiously, "I think Padma might have to write you up a ticket for that serious fashion violation" she joked.  
>"Erm- well I kind of fell asleep in the Room of Requirement last night" I mumbled not making eye contact with any of them, "So I should go get ready" I said quickly making the move to run past them before they asked any more questions, but right as I did Draco tumbled out of the Room of Requirement and into the hallway as if on cue.<p>

"You fell asleep, huh?" Blaise laughed with a smirk as he put two and two together.  
>"Well... I did- <em>eventually<em>" I responded quietly; my cheeks now the color of Ron's hair.  
>"Oh bugger Potter; it looks like we are the only two virgins left!" Blaise exclaimed.<br>"Don't remind me..." Harry muttered.  
>"Whoa, what are you all doing here?" Draco asked coming to stand beside me.<br>"We've been caught my dear" I chuckled and his eyes widened. "Well I really do have to get ready" I said bolting away down the hall feeling embarrassed.

When I walked in the Great Hall for breakfast, now fully dressed in my uniform, I spotted Harry and Blaise huddled around Draco at the Gryffindor table. They both had smirks on their faces and Draco's usually pale cheeks were glowing pink. Luna was sitting a few feet away from them down the table shaking her head.  
>I plopped down into the spot beside her and grabbed a bagel from the tray in front of me.<p>

"Oi! Boys, leave poor Draco alone!" I laughed. They all looked up, Blaise and Harry shrugged and came back over to sit with me and Luna. Draco took the spot next to me and gave me a look of thanks.

"We have Occlumency tonight Anna..." Harry moaned dolefully from across the table.  
>"Oh bugger, do we really? I was enjoying not having to spend time with that stupid git" I responded, "I really don't appreciate him looking through my memories, it is a total invasion of privacy" I said irritably.<br>"Yeah and imagine if he sees what you and Draco did last night?" Harry snorted.  
>All the color instantly drained from yours and Draco's face at Harrys comment, "I did not even think of that!" I exclaimed horrified before proceeding to bang my head on the edge of the table.<p>

"Where has Ron been?" I asked Harry during Herbology, as he and I attempted to pot some rather violent Snapping Dragon Lilies.  
>"Avoiding everyone," Harry replied sadly, "Hermione brings food to our dorm for him, he's still really worked up about his dad becoming Minister".<br>"Yeah, it must be tough- OUCH! The thing bloody bit me!" I exclaimed loudly hopping up from my seat and waving my now throbbing finger in the air. The entire class started laughing and turned to stare at me.  
>"That is why it is imperative that you actually pay attention while potting Snapping Dragon Lilies!" Professor Sprout reprimanded, "If you had not been talking to Mr. Potter this would not have happened".<br>"But it didn't bite him!" I whined still waving my hurt finger wildly around me in the air; making me look a little off my rocker.  
>"I guess it just didn't like you Miss Darcy" Sprout said curtly and I could have sworn I heard her mumble, "And I can't say I blame it", under her breath.<p>

Other than getting my finger nearly bitten off during Herbology the rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully. I found myself getting more and more worried about Ron when he didn't show up for lunch or dinner and Hermione wasn't looking too well either. As dinner came and went I and Harry found ourselves walking drearily down the hall for my first Occlumency lesson after vacation.

"You are late" Snape snapped as I reluctantly entered the classroom behind Harry.  
>"Yeah well- what else is new?" I responded coldly rolling my eyes at him.<br>"Ah so I see not even being in a coma for two weeks can squash that bad attitude of yours" he hissed in reply, "Now who is going first tonight?"  
>"I vote Potter!" I exclaimed immediately.<br>"I vote Darcy!" he shouted just after.  
>"Well I vote..." Snape began, but he was cut off when an owl came swooping into the office clutching a small piece of parchment in its beak. Snape swiped it from the owl's beak and his eyes scanned over it speedily. "I have to go" he stated, "You two will remain here and this time you will not touch anything, or you will find yourself in detention for a very long time" he warned giving us both a pointed look. I got déjà vu as he swept out of the classroom, leaving me and Harry alone.<p>

_'He should know better than to leave me alone in here by_ now' I thought amusedly to myself.

"Did he just leave us alone in his office again?" Harry asked in disbelief.  
>"It looks like he did mate..." I replied, "That man really is not too bright is he? I mean I am Anna Darcy" I said looking around his room for something to sabotage. His lesson plan and grading book were nowhere to be found and all his potions cabinets were locked shut.<br>"Looks like he is a little more prepared this time," Harry commented after using an unsuccessful Alohomora charm on one of the cabinets.  
>"Unfortunately yes- wait! What is this thing?" I inquired stepping curiously toward an object resting on a small table in the corner of the office. It was a round basin-like structure with beautiful engravings around the edge; a silvery water substance was in the center. I looked closer to the water to see the shadows of people moving around inside of it.<p>

Harry came up behind me and looked over my shoulder to see what I was talking about. "Oh that is a Pensieve" Harry answered knowingly.  
>"This is a Pensieve?" I exclaimed excitedly; I had read all about Pensieves before and knew exactly how they worked. "Care to take a look at Snape's memories?" I asked with a smirk on my face.<br>"Oh hell no! I did that once and the guy almost bloody killed me!" Harry exclaimed.  
>"Oh come on, live a little Potter! Aren't you just a little curious?" I egged on.<br>A conflicted look spread across his face and I could tell he was trying to decide between doing what is right or what is fun. "You know- you are a really bad influence Anna Darcy" Harry said shaking his head at me. "Alright let's go" he agreed sticking his wand into the silvery liquid and stirring it a little, "Just dive in" he instructed.

I did what Harry said and leaned my head down into the liquid; right then I felt myself being pulled away out of the classroom and into another world... Harry followed shortly behind me. I looked around at my location and saw that I was in a rather large house, most likely a mansion. It had high dome ceilings, portraits of ominous-looking wizards lined the walls, and there were bookshelves full of extremely heavy looking leather bound books.

"Where are we?" Harry whispered as the two of us walked through the house.  
>"I have no idea" I replied, "Snape's old house maybe?" I guessed. Then suddenly both I and Harry were startled by a loud noise from the next room. It was definitely the sound of a baby crying; Harry and I edged closer to the room and stepped inside. There was a beautiful black crib in the center of the dark room, which held a small baby inside that could not have been more than a few months old. I looked over the edge of the crib to get a better look at the baby, there were tears pouring down its pudgy little cheeks. "The poor thing, it is all alone" I whispered looking at it sympathetically, "I wonder what Snape has to do with all this?"<br>"Anna... look at the baby's eyes" Harry said suddenly, his own emerald green eyes wide. I gave him a peculiar look before looking back down at the baby. I gasped when I saw the color of the small child's eyes; they were a beautiful golden honey brown color identical to my own...


	44. Chapter 44

"Oh my god... that's me!" you exclaimed upon seeing the child's eyes. "This- this is my old house" you said looking around once more.

Suddenly another noise entered the room; both you and Harry spun around to see Snape standing in the frame of the door. He looked much younger, probably only in his early twenties. He had long, greasy black hair, cold brown eyes, and a pointed nose. A nervous look was plastered on his face as he swept inside the room and over to the crib. He lifted up baby Anna in his arms and began to speak.

"Hello little Anna Bella, hello beautiful" he said in a high-pitched baby voice you didn't even know he was capable of. "Don't cry little one" he whispered hugging the child close to him, "I am not going to let them hurt you, you are going to come live with me and be _my_ daughter" he whispered rocking her gently in his arms. Then suddenly his head snapped up and he quickly rested the baby back down and its crib before running to hide in one of the room's two closets.

You looked up again to see two people entering the room; you knew instantly that they were your parents Bellatrix and Rudolphus. Bellatrix was absolutely stunning with long ebony black hair, fair skin, and intense dark brown eyes, but there was something about her that turned you off. Perhaps it was the evil scowl plastered permanently on to her face. The man behind her, your father Rudolphus, who you had never seen except for a black and white mug shot in the Daily Prophet, he looked just like you. He had wavy, dirty blonde hair, freckled skin, and the same honey brown eyes as you. He was rather good looking and did not look near as intimidating as Bellatrix.

"Bella dear... must we do this? The prophecy could be wrong, we could raise her to be just how we want her to be, must we resort to murder?" the man asked. There was an aggrieved look on his young face.  
>"Yes Rudolphus, we must. It is our orders from the Dark Lord and we must obey them! This damn girl could be his downfall in the end and you don't want that do you?" Bellatrix snapped back irritably as she pulled out her wand from her cloak and stepped closer to the crib.<br>"Why must you always do as he says?" Rudolphus snapped back in reply.  
>"Because he is my master and yours as well, you know this!" Bellatrix replied without making eye contact with him.<br>"I suppose you are right dear..." he replied quietly his eyes flashing with anger.  
>"A quick Avada Kavadra then?" Bellatrix asked and her husband nodded slowly; all the while Snape was watching intently though the small crack between the closet doors.<p>

Your mother raised her wand to the baby in the crib without a hint of emotion or regret on her face. She cared only for the Dark Lord and what he wanted; you could see it in her eyes. But then you looked over to your father; a distressed look still adorned his tired face. He looked as if he was about to cry at any moment, he actually looked like he regretted having to do this to you. And suddenly you understood why... He must have been in love with Bellatrix to marry her, but now she loved no one but the Dark Lord and no husband ever wants to play second string to another man.

"Put the wand down Lestrange!" a voice suddenly snarled and Snape leapt out from his hiding place in the closet out into the open.  
>"What are you doing here Severus?" Bellatrix asked in a bored tone. "We really must be getting this over with you know" she commented.<br>"Yes, what are you doing her Snivellus?" Rudolphus asked with a smirk, "I thought I told you to pick up my new robes at Madame Malkin's".  
>"I was tired of being your lapdog Lestrange" Snape snapped back, "You will not harm a hair on that child's body, do you understand me?" he hissed.<br>"We have been ordered by the Dark Lord to kill her, so it shall be done" Bellatrix replied coolly; not seeming to really take him seriously.  
>"No it shall not!" Snape yelled, "I am no Death Eater Lestrange and you will not harm my goddaughter!" At this shocked looks appeared on your parent's face. "I am on Dumbledore's side now and this child will live! And I will raise her the way I want - the proper way" he finished whipping his wand into the air before either of them could recover their composure. He yelled a spell and suddenly ropes slithered around both their bodies like snakes binding them together. Their wands slipped out from their hands and they fell to the floor paralyzed.<p>

"What in bloody hell is the meaning of this Severus? The Dark Lord will kill you, you know! He will punish you for your disloyalty!" Bellatrix shrieked.  
>"You know what Bella? I don't bloody care anymore!" Snape yelled back before walking over to the crib and sweeping the baby up into his arms. "You two will be in Azkaban for a very long time" Snape said with a smirk.<br>"You are just jealous Severus, because I got everything that you could never have" Rudolphus hissed from his spot on the floor. "A beautiful wife, a beautiful daughter, a beautiful home, and of course power..." he went on.  
>"Yes and you threw it all down the drain like a stupid git! Your wife has fallen in love with another man, you have now lost your only daughter, your master took away all your power, and your home- well you can say goodbye to that too. But I heard the Azkaban cells are rather comfortable" Snape sneered.<p>

And as he said this the small window on the back wall of the room flew open and a girl came stumbling in through it. She was beautiful with long, shimmering black hair, pale white skin, and gleaming red eyes. You immediately recognized her as a much younger Professor Hollows; she could not have been older than eighteen at the time.

"So you saved the child?" she asked not noticing the two tied up on the floor just yet.  
>"You are in on this too?" Bellatrix screamed from the ground, "You little traitor! I should have known that a half-breed could not be trusted! You will pay for this betrayal just like Severus!" she hissed. Hollows eyes widened with horror when she saw them on the floor; she had obviously not wanted them to know she had anything to do with this rescue mission.<br>"Dumbledore will protect us" you heard Snape whisper in her ear before leaning out the window. He pulled out his wand his the hand not holding tightly to you and sent bright blue sparks up into the air...

Then suddenly you felt yourself being pulled away from the scene by the neck of your robes. You were once more back in Snape's dark, dingy office with Harry beside you; both of you had looks of panic on your faces knowing very well who was behind you. You could feel the hands holding the back of your robes trembling violently with anger and you knew you were doomed to at least a month of detention for this one if not longer.

"What do you two think you are doing?" the voice hissed venomously from behind you; you could feel his breath hitting the back of your neck he was so close.  
>"I'm- I am sorry p-professor..." was all you could manage to stutter out.<br>He spun you both around aggressively; so you were face to face with an extremely angry looking Severus Snape. His ghostly pale skin was even paler then normal and his dead brown eyes were like two slits as he glared down at you. "What did you two see?" he snapped; his upper lip curling slightly. You and Harry both gulped in unison, but neither of you had the courage to answer the question... it seems that you had both lost your voice. "I said, what did you two see?" Snape asked once again this time with more force.

You and Harry exchanged worried glances with each other, both of you at what seemed like a complete lack for words. "We erm- we uh- we saw the day that you rescued Anna from her parents..." Harry finally answered in an almost inaudible mumble, while avoiding eye contact with him.  
>Snape's face contorted as Harry said this, "Both of you get the hell out of my office!" he yelled suddenly catching you both completely off guard. When neither one of you moved he yelled again, "GET OUT! I SAID GET OUT!" and this time you both hastily obeyed and darted out of the room.<p>

You both stopped running when you were out of the dungeons and halfway down the hallway. You both bent over clutching stitches in your side and desperately trying to catch your breath. "He- he was scary" you said to Harry when you had finally regained your breath.  
>"Well- we did violate his personal memories" Harry stated with a guilty look on his face.<br>"He violates ours all the bloody time! But I guess you are right..." you sighed collapsing against the wall. "He was going to raise me, he wanted to be my father…" you said after awhile of silence between you and Harry; "He- he loved me... I could have had an actual family" you whispered more to yourself than anyone else at this point.  
>Harry sunk down into the spot beside and placed his arm around your shoulders. "I'm sorry Anna..." he whispered gently in your ear. But you didn't hear him; in your mind you were replaying what you had seen over and over again. You thought about every word that was said and then suddenly something struck you like a bolt of lightning; you wondered why you had never thought of it before.<br>"I have got to go" you said, suddenly jumping up from the ground to your feet.  
>"Where are you going?" Harry asked with concern; standing up as well.<br>"I need to get the truth" you said simply, "I'll see you tomorrow!" you called over your shoulder as you bolted down the hallway and around the corner toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The whole way you prayed that Professor Hollows was still in her classroom.


	45. Chapter 45

You stopped in front of and opened the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom door open slowly and quietly. Inside you saw Professor Hollows sitting at her desk reading a very thick black book she had propped up against her knees.

"Professor?" you said tentatively as you stepped through the door and inside.  
>She looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow when she saw you standing there. "What do you want this late at night Darcy?" she asked rather coldly.<br>"You were a Death Eater" you said point blank, "So you knew my parents, right?"  
>"Yes I did, not particularly well, but I knew them all the same" she answered, "Why do you ask?"<br>"Do Death Eaters have specific jobs like the members of the Order do? Like people who do field work or guarding or paper work?" you questioned.  
>"Yes, it is organized very much like the Order within Voldemort's inner circle" she answered, "What are you getting to with these questions Darcy?" she asked impatiently.<br>"What was my father's job?" you asked ignoring her question.  
>"Well he started out doing a lot field work; assassinating a lot of important people, but then he was moved down to helping to maintain the Head Quarters with the younger members" she replied.<p>

You nodded your head; you had expected Professor Hollows to give you an answer like that. You had suddenly realized something after leaving Snape's office; you had never seen your father in person before. He had been absent during the battle at the Department of Mysteries and he had also been absent the day that Lucius and Bellatrix attacked you. Why was he never out with the Death Eaters? Now you knew the answer, because he was stuck back at Head Quarters doing a job usually set aside for newbies and incompetent duelers.

"Voldemort doesn't like my father, does he?" you asked her abruptly. "He and my mother- they are- they are in love aren't they?" you asked.  
>She seemed taken aback by your question and you also noticed her flinch at the mention of his true name. "You are a cleverer than I originally thought Darcy" she replied snidely. "The answers to your questions are yes and no" she responded, "Yes... the Dark Lord does not like your father and no... The Dark Lord is not in love with your mother, but she with him. Bellatrix could never resist a man of power. Rudolphus Lestrange was an eminent student of the Dark Arts and one of the wealthiest purebloods in the wizarding world, so naturally she was drawn to him. He fell madly in love with her as most men eventually did and they both together became Death Eaters. She was one of the only other female Death Eaters besides me at the time because most of the pureblood women chose to be respectable housewives. She caught the Dark Lord's eye and soon became his most prized Death Eater; she began to fall for him... Why? Because he was powerful, there was none more powerful than he".<br>"And my father was jealous, but was he jealous of my father?" you asked.  
>"Not necessarily" Hollows responded, "He never loved your mother from what I could see, but he wanted to produce an heir so badly and I was a vampire, so therefore I would not do. The only other option was Bellatrix. So the Dark Lord stuck your father with the menial tasks that no one else wanted to bring himself closer with Bellatrix, but then he began to send Rudolphus on what we called suicide missions. He wanted him dead, so he could have Bellatrix for his own and so he could produce an heir with his own blood running through its veins. When you and Draco both proved unfit as the next heir he began to worry even more about who would take his thrown after his death-"<br>"And that is why I have yet to see my father with the other Death Eaters" you finished for her. "Voldemort has stuck him back at Head Quarters just like he did last time; why doesn't he just kill him?" you asked.  
>"He can't" she answered shortly, "It would look bad to just go around murdering faithful servants... no he has to mess up first. He has to get so angry about being kept away from the action that he does something to defy his master".<br>"He is trying to crack him!" you exclaimed, "He is trying to drive him to betrayal!"

"Very good Miss Darcy, very good indeed" Hollows chuckled. 

You walked back to your dorm room with your mind buzzing with new information and realizations. You weren't sure if this understanding would help anything, but it sure did explain a lot. You stepped through the portrait hole, into the empty Ravenclaw Common Room, and then up the stairs into your room. When you walked inside you saw Padma, Stacey, Jane, and Abby all on Padma's bed in a little circle whispering with each other. When they spotted you they all instantly burst out into a fit of girly giggles.

"What are you all giggling about?" you asked coldly; it was obvious they had been talking about you just a couple of moments ago.  
>"Where were you last night Darcy?" Padma asked with a smirk on her face.<br>"I fell asleep in the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione snuck me in" you lied quickly; if they knew where you really were you were positive you would be top news in tomorrow's latest gossip.  
>"Oh..." Padma said looking disappointed with your answer, "Well anyways, you have a little present waiting for you on your bed. I can't imagine how he got it up here, but he managed didn't he?" she sniggered. You raised an eyebrow at her before walking over to your bed; you ripped open the bed hangings and were surprised to see what was lying inside.<p>

On your bed an absolutely stunning dress lay delicately over your sheets. It was a navy blue color with thin straps, a scooped neck, and a flared skirt. You instantly fell in love with the dress; it fit your style perfectly.

"Wow..." you whispered reaching over and lifting it up in your hands gently like it was a precious jewel.  
>"It <em>is<em> a pretty dress Darcy" Padma stated, "I suppose Malfoy bought it for you".  
>You shrugged and then noticed a small letter attached to one of the straps...<p>

_This is only your first birthday present for tomorrow; I have a little something else for you as well. But when I saw this at Hogsmeade I could not help but buy it for you. I figured that since the ball is this weekend and you haven't had a chance to sneak out to Hogsmeade recently that you may be in need of a dress... I hope that you like it and will consider wearing it to the ball as my lovely date._

_With Love Forever and Always, _

_"Your Heart's Seeker"_

You could feel yourself blushing as you read the letter and judging by the other girl's giggles they had figured out the answer to Padma's question.

"Oh hush up" you snapped at them, but you weren't very convincing with the large, stupid grin spread across your face. You folded the dress neatly and tucked it away carefully into your trunk before finally collapsing down on your bed. Draco once more was successful in pushing all the negative and stressful thoughts of the day out of your mind and you actually fell asleep with a smile still on your face.

Draco literally skipped down the hallway toward the Slytherin Common Room humming to himself with a silly smile on his face. A few months ago if anyone had seen this they would have thought someone had whacked him over the head and caused him to go temporarily insane, but now- now this behavior was almost normal of Draco Malfoy. Why? Because he was in love, that's why.

He looked down at the beautiful figurine he was holding delicately in his hands, so as not to break it. The crystal animal he had bought for Anna at Hogsmeade shined brilliantly even in the dimness of the Hogwarts' hallways at night. The statuette was of a small unicorn, it was made purely of crystal and its eyes were made of dazzling white diamonds. He was so excited about his gift for Anna; she had told him that she loved unicorns during their walk over Christmas vacation, so he was positive that she would like the present. That is all that he wanted; he wanted to see her face light up when she opened up the box. He wanted to feel her small arms wrapped around him in excitement and to feel her soft lips press up against his in thanks. All he really wanted was to make her happy and give her a wonderful birthday and happiness, which she above all deserved.

He was picturing the ecstatic look on Anna's face; her fabulous honey brown eyes sparkling and her that beautiful smile of hers that made him melt spread across her face when all of a sudden he stopped dead in his tracks. He had not stopped on his own accord; it was like someone had forced him to stop. His head darted around him to see who had been responsible for his sudden halt, but no one could be seen. Then suddenly a strange sensation passed through his body and a sort of darkness engulfed his mind. It was like his spirit had been suddenly torn away from him and his body was no longer under his control. His hand loosened its careful grip on the figurine and the unicorn fell to the corridor floor shattering into a million pieces...


	46. Chapter 46

"Wake up, wake up sleepy head!" a singsong voice woke you the next morning. You blinked your eyes a few times before the blurry image came into focus and you saw Luna sitting on the edge of your bed smiling brightly. "Happy birthday my dear!" she shouted wrapping her arms around you in a tight hug, "How does it feel to be eighteen, eh?"  
>"I don't know... quite the same as seventeen really" you chuckled hopping out of bed and pulling your uniform out of your trunk to get ready.<br>"Well maybe you need a couple of days to get the full effect" Luna suggested, "I got you a present, look!" she said handing you a circular button pin that read '_Happy Birthday to Me!_' in flashing neon pink letters.  
>"I love it!" you exclaimed, "I am <em>so<em> wearing this all day" you told her.  
>"You better!" she replied, "So are you excited for the day? We are throwing you an awesome party!" she sighed happily.<br>"Hell yeah! Maybe I can even knick some firewhisky to liven things up a bit" you mused, "Hey Luna, take a look at the top of my trunk, Draco bought me a dress for the ball!" you called from the bathroom.

You chuckled to yourself when you heard Luna's excited squeal outside the door. "Oh Merlin! Anna this dress is absolutely gorgeous and you are so lucky! I'm jealous! Harry didn't buy me a dress..." she whined.  
>"I'm sure he would, but we all know how hopeless he is when it comes to shopping" you laughed walking out the bathroom fully dressed for the day. You had on your traditional uniform, but you had pinned Luna's button to your right shoulder.<br>"Ah- very true! Remember when he bought Hermione that sweater for Christmas?" she asked and you couldn't help but cringe remembering the lime green wool sweater with bright orange stars on the front.  
>"Oh yes- vividly... poor Herms- bless that girl's soul for wearing it" you responded.<p>

You ascended the stairs down to the Great Hall arm in arm with Luna making plans with her about what you would do at your little party in the Room of Requirement that night. When you entered the Great Hall for breakfast you were bombarded with hugs, whistles, and plenty of 'Happy Birthdays'. All of your friends greeted you happily when you reached the Gryffindor dining table, but three people were missing from the gang... Ron, Hermione and Draco.

"Where are Herms, Carrot Top and Draco at? They aren't ditching us on my birthday are they?" you pouted scanning the hall for any sign of them.  
>Everyone just shrugged in response, "Ron is probably still barricaded up in our dorm room, and he won't come out until classes start. Hermione is most likely trying to coax him out and I have no idea where Draco is" Harry answered.<br>"Oh well I'll find him later" you said forcing a smile; you couldn't help, but be a little hurt Draco was nowhere to be found on the morning of your birthday. You hoped that Harry was right and that he had just accidentally slept in the day.

"Hey guys..." a sad voice droned from behind you and you looked around to see Ron standing there. There were dark circles under his faded blue eyes, his skin was pale, and his hair was messy and unkempt.  
>"Oh Ron, thank Merlin" you said standing up and hugging him tightly; you were so excited to finally see him out of his dorm room.<br>"Happy Birthday Anna" he responded.  
>"Thanks mate" you said, "How are you feeling?" you asked concernedly.<br>"I have been better" he mumbled in reply plopping down into the seat beside you at the table. "Hermione and I broke up..." he said in a depressed tone.  
>"What? When? Why?" was everyone else at the table's immediate response to his announcement.<br>"I really don't want to talk about it" he answered not making eye contact with anyone at the table. You all exchanged nervous glances with each other, but none of you pushed the matter any further; you could tell he was taking it hard. You made a mental note to talk to Hermione about it later, because you would probably have more luck getting it out of her and you were sure she would probably need someone to talk to.

"Oi Weasel King! Where have you been lately? We just saw your mudblood girlfriend crying in the library, we helped cheer her up a little" Ruby Pickford said with a smirk on her face and the other Slytherins gathered behind her sniggered. She had taken over Pansy's old role as the leader, since Pansy's expulsion from the school.  
>"Watch your bloody mouth Pickford or I swear to Merlin I will kick your arse all the way to Canada" Luna hissed narrowing her eyes maliciously.<br>"Did you hear Weasel King's father is the new Minister of Magic? I know! I cannot believe they hired that muggle-loving idiot either" she sneered ignoring Luna's comment, "I suppose they could use the money to maybe add an extension to that hovel of theirs, too bad it wont last long though. The Death Eaters get him just like they got-" but Ruby was never able to finish her sentence, because at that last sentence you sprung up and punched her right across the face.  
>"You will keep your bloody mouth shut you little twit, understand?" you hissed.<br>"Oh I understand perfectly" she replied with a sadistic smile on her face. She stood up and brushed herself off, she shot you a parting smirk before strutting away. You watched her go with a confused expression on your face; no retaliation?

As the day went on you completely forgot about your fight with Ruby, because you started to become more and more worried about where Draco was. The rest of breakfast passed by with no sign of him, morning classes passed by with still no sign of him, and now it was lunchtime and he yet again was nowhere to be found in the hungry throng of Hogwarts students.

You plopped down in the seat beside Blaise and slammed your thick Transfiguration book forcefully down on to the table creating a loud thud that made him jump. "Hey, what's wrong birthday girl? You feeling alright?" he asked with concern in his stormy gray eyes.  
>"Alright? Am I alright? Where in bloody hell is he? It is my goddamn birthday and he is completely blowing me off! He wasn't in Divination, so I checked the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey said he wasn't there. I even checked my trunk to see if he had taken the invisibility cloak to sneak off or something, but no!" you yelled in reply.<br>He nodded now understanding why you were so upset, "I don't know where he could be" Blaise said, "I'm sorry" he added rubbing your back.  
>"Ugh... that little prat" you muttered resting your forehead on the table.<p>

Afternoon classes dragged by and dinner came and went, but you guessed it! There was still no sign of Draco anywhere. You and Blaise were walking down the hallway toward your "surprise" party in the Room of Requirement.

"Maybe he is at the party" Blaise said encouragingly, "Maybe he just wanted to surprise you or something; he wouldn't just not show up on your birthday".  
>"I sure hope so" you mumbled looking down at your faded black sneakers miserably. You rounded the corner down into the next hall when you saw something that you never though you would ever see. Your jaw dropped and you felt everything that was your world just come crashing down at that moment. The beating of your heart got increasingly louder and you could feel Blaise's body tense up angrily beside you.<p>

There Draco was... the first time you had seen him the entire day, but you wished that you hadn't. He was just several feet away from you down the hall pressing your sworn enemy, Ruby Pickford, up against the wall. Their lips were pressed up against each other and his hands were slowly making their way up her shirt; as she moaned so loudly it made you want to throw up. You felt such anger and misery running through your body like you had never known before. It took every bit of strength that you had in you not to just break down and cry right there in the middle of the hallway.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" you screamed storming down the hallway and ripping him pitilessly off her by his long hair.  
>He turned around to face you with a blank expression on his face. For a moment his eyes looked strange to you, like there was a cloudy sort of mist over them. Then his expression all of a sudden changed to one of disgust, "What the hell do you think that you are doing Darcy?" he snapped back rubbing the back of his head. "Don't touch me with those filthy hands of yours, you blood traitor" he sneered pushing you away from him.<br>"Don't you bloody touch her!" Blaise yelled coming up and putting his hands protectively on your shoulders glaring daggers at Draco.  
>"What- what are you doing?" you asked softly, "What happened?" you choked trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to break through at any second.<br>"He got sick of you, you filthy slut. Plus he realized that true purebloods stick to their kind. Haven't you Draco baby?" Ruby asked in a sickly sweet voice running her hand over Draco's neck and chest seductively.  
>"Yes dear" he replied kissing her on the forehead. This was just too much... yesterday he had been so in love with you, you could see it in his eyes. He had even hinted at waking up beside you every morning, but now all you can see in his eyes was coldness and unfeeling, something just was not right about all this. People don't change <em>that<em> quickly or do they?

"What did you do to him you little bitch?" you snapped lunging at Ruby; sure she had put him under a spell or something. Your sudden movement caught Ruby off guard allowing you to pin her to the ground; she gritted her teeth and slapped you hard across the face prompting you to rip at her hair viciously; you couldn't remember being so mad before.  
>"Get off her you piece of mudblood-loving filth!" Draco hissed pulling you by the neck of your sweater and throwing you roughly up against the brick wall making you hit your head. You could feel the warm trickle of blood running down your forehead.<br>"Oh you did not just do that!" Blaise snapped looking nothing short of pissed. In a split second his fist made contact with Draco's jaw sending him flying to the ground. "I don't know what happened to you and I don't know why all of a sudden you turned back into a bloody arse, but I do know if you touch a hair on Anna Darcy's head ever again I will kill you without a second thought" Blaise hissed. "Let's go Anna, you don't need this shit" Blaise said grabbing your hand.  
>You didn't protest, you just let him pull you down the remainder of the hallway away from a bruised and bleeding Ruby and Draco.<p>

"What the hell was that?" you asked when you turned the corner into the next hallway; you collapsed to the floor and let the tears pour down from your eyes. "He- he- he could not have j-just changed l-like that in one day... I mean yest-yesterday he told me- me he loved me and he meant it Blaise! HE MEANT IT!" you yelled your emotion overwhelming you. Blaise looked at you sympathetically, but did not reply; obviously lacking the proper words for such an occasion.  
>You looked down the hall and spotted a least a thousand pieces of tiny glass on the floor... shattered just like your heart.<p> 


	47. Chapter 47

"Repairo" you mumbled at the tiny shards of glass and the sprung into the air and back together to form a tiny crystal unicorn. You picked it up and held it out in your palm to see how absolutely spectacular it was with diamond encrusted eyes that shown radiantly. It reminded you of the day over Christmas break when you and Draco saw the unicorn during your walk. You remembered how happy you had felt with him that day; with your hands clasped tightly together and both of you wanting nothing more than just to be in the other's company. Things had been so perfect.

_Perfect_. You had been so stupid to think something so perfect could ever last. All good things come to an end eventually, right? But that thought didn't comfort you at all... You two were supposed to be together just like the prophecy said. But maybe Dumbledore was right; you thought back to the words he said to you a long time ago... '_Prophecies do not always come true, things can change. They also very often do not turn out to mean exactly what we thought them to mean_'.

"Hey let's go to your party, everyone is waiting for you" Blaise said with a weak smile grasping your hand and attempting to pull you up from the ground.  
>"No" you said simply letting go of his hand and standing yourself up. "I am just going- I am just going to go to bed alright" you said before ambling off down the empty hallway not bothering to hang around for Blaise's response.<p>

Blaise watched Anna dragged her feet miserably down the hallway and his heart broke for her. He knew how miserable that she must have felt at that moment after seeing Draco kissing Ruby like that, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do for her; she needed some alone time. With a heavy sigh he continued his journey toward the Room of Requirement to alert the rest everyone that Anna would not be coming that night. He knew they would all be disappointed, but he also understood why Anna would not be up to coming.

Reluctantly he opened the secret door leading into the room, which was completely dark. Suddenly the lights flashed on revealing about twenty smiling faces all cheering surprise in unison. Their smiles all fell though when they saw it was only Blaise standing in the door. Blaise closed the door behind him and turned around to face his friends.

"She isn't coming..." he muttered sitting down on one of the couches.

"She isn't coming? Why not?" Ron asked worriedly breaking through the crowd that had gathered around Blaise asking questions.  
>"Look I really don't want to talk about this with everyone here" Blaise answered, "Um... do you guys mind erm- leaving" Blaise tried asking the crowd as politely as he possibly could, so he could just talk with Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Ron. They all nodded seeming to understand.<p>

"So what happened?" Hermione asked nervously, her eyes were very red and puffy.

"We were walking down to the party and we saw- we saw Draco kissing Ruby Pickford in the hallway" at this everyone gasped at once, "It gets worse..." he mumbled, "She asked him what was going on and he started calling her a blood traitor and all that old crap. He actually threw her against the bloody wall, so I smacked him hard across the face" Blaise said through gritted teeth. "She's not taking it too well" he finished.  
>"This- this can't be- how does something like that happen?" Luna whispered.<br>"With all those dark wizards out there... someone must have gotten to him or maybe he never really did change" Blaise replied running his hands through his hair feeling completely stressed out by the whole thing.

Ron came out of the corner where he had been standing and listening to Blaise's words. He didn't say a word to his friends who were rambling angrily about what an arse Draco and how they could get revenge for Anna; instead he just snuck quietly out of the room.

You let the cool evening wind blow through your long, dirty blonde hair as you stood on top of the Astronomy Tower staring out into the emptiness. Silver tears poured from your honey brown eyes as you looked up at the night sky stars. There was something about them that seemed to calm you no matter how bad things seemed to get.

Suddenly you felt a pair of arms wrap around your shoulders from behind you and a chin rested on your shoulder. For a second you thought it was Draco coming to tell you he was sorry for hurting you so badly on your birthday and that everything he said had been a complete mistake, but this thought was dismissed when you caught sight of that famous Weasley red hair blowing in the wind.

"I just thought you might need someone to keep you company" a voice you recognized as Ron's whispered in your ear.  
>You sighed and leaned your head on his, "I don't know where I went wrong..."<p>

"You did nothing wrong Anna, he is the one who went wrong" Ron responded, "If he can't see how amazing you are then he is a bloody idiot that's all. He will realize what a stupid mistake he made soon enough".  
>"I wish I could believe that" you replied choking back tears. Ron spun you around and wiped the tears streaming down your freckled cheeks with his thumb. He sat down against the wall of the tower and pulled you down gently into the spot beside of him. You rested your head on top of his shoulder and wrapped his arm around your shoulder.<p>

"He will I promise you that" he said encouragingly, "And until then know that I am always there for you alright? Believe me I know what it feels like to be lonely..." he whispered the last part very quietly.  
>"Ron, what happened with you and Hermione?" you asked. You saw how sad and troubled they looked, even a small tear ran down his cheek when you said Hermione's name.<br>"I dumped her... I couldn't take the fact that I would end up hurting her. I really don't know how you and Harry deal with it, knowing that you're on Voldemort's wanted list" Ron mumbled in reply and you understood just what he was saying. It was not an easy thing knowing that the most evil wizard in the world wanted you dead or captured. Ron had been really introduced to you and Harry's world when his father became the Minister of Magic and it was no longer sage to be a member of the Weasley family.

"Do you love her Ron?" you asked turning to look him straight in the eye.  
>"Of course I do, that is why I let her go" Ron answered despondently.<br>"If you love her do not let her go Ron; she knows the dangers just like Luna does for Harry and just like- just like Draco did for me" you sighed, "If you find love hold on to it with both hands or you'll regret it for the rest of your life" your voice cracked a little with your last words.

The two of you sat in silence for about ten minutes, each of you just thinking over the events of the day when suddenly the sound of approaching footprints steadily making their way up the staircase. Within a few minutes Blaise appeared in the doorway,

"You dropped this man" he said holding a folded piece of parchment to Ron. Ron nodded and shoved it into his pocket, "You mind if I take it from here?" Blaise asked Ron nodding toward you.  
>"Sure, I have to go see about a few things anyways..." he answered, "Feel better Anna and happy birthday" he whispered kissing you on the cheek before retreating down the stairs.<p>

Ron headed out of the Astronomy Tower with Anna's words running through his mind over and over again. '_If you love her do not let her go Ron_' the words played again. He knew she was right, he would regret it forever if he just let Hermione go like that. But he just wanted her to be happy more than anything else in the world and at the moment he didn't know if he could make her happy. Then he remembered all the times they had spent together. Of course they did bicker often, but they had always made each other so happy. He could see it in her sparkly caramel brown eyes that she loved him and that she wanted to be with him just as much as he wanted to be with her.

'_I'll just tell her I'm sorry... she'll understand_' he thought to himself as he jogged toward the Gryffindor Common Room to see her, but he stopped suddenly when he saw two people standing in front of the Fat Lady talking, it was Seamus and Hermione. He quickly hid behind the statue of Muriel the Magnificent and listened to what they were saying.

"So you and Ron broke up, huh? I'm really sorry about that" Seamus said patting her on the shoulder.  
>"Yeah... but I am okay I guess" Hermione trailed off fidgeting with the golden bracelet that Ron had bought for her that Christmas.<br>"Look, I don't want to push you into anything you aren't ready for yet, so feel free to say no. I was wondering if you might want to go to the Ball with me tomorrow?" he asked.  
>Hermione looked at Seamus in complete surprise, but a small smile crept across her face for the first time that entire day. "Sure Seamus, I would like that" she replied. He smirked at her reply, but quickly changed it into a smile.<p>

Ron sighed as he watched the two turn their back to him and enter the Gryffindor Common Room, with his hand resting on her lower back. He felt a wave of jealousy rush over him and his cheeks flushed red, but he didn't chase after them or tell Seamus to take his hands of his girlfriend... because well, she wasn't his girlfriend anymore and that was no one's fault but his own. He saw the smile that came on her face when Seamus asked her with his own eyes; she was happy and she deserved to be happy. He would just have to step aside this time; he would just have to let her go...


	48. Chapter 48

You woke up the next day with a headache like you had never known in your life. After opening your eyes you noticed someone sitting on the edge of your bed reading a book upside down and humming to themselves lightly.

"Oh good you are finally up" she said as you propped yourself up on your elbows.  
>"What time is it?" you asked groggily rubbing your temples as you tried to think back to what had happened the night before. For some reason you could not remember how you got into bed or what happened in general the night before. All you knew was that your head was throbbing.<br>"About 12:30... You missed morning classes, everyone is down at lunch. Here take this" she ordered throwing you a vial of blue liquid, "You and Blaise hit the firewhisky pretty hard last night and Harry swears by the hangover potion".

You drank the liquid down without question and immediately felt better, "I- I got drunk?" you moaned, "I can't even remember" you mumbled.  
>"Erm- yeah, you weren't doing so great yesterday after the whole Draco thing..." she trailed off.<br>You looked at her confused for a second and then it all came rushing back to you; him kissing Ruby in the hallway, throwing you against the wall, and turning back into the Draco you had hated during your first five years at Hogwarts.

"Just leave me to die" you whined burying your head in your pillow never wanting to get up again.  
>"Oh no you don't, you are not going to let him make you miserable! Now get up! We are going to go eat some lunch" Luna ordered pulling your covers off of you and your pillow out from under your head.<br>"Yes mother..." you muttered standing up to get changed.

When you opened your trunk you saw the dress Draco had bought you laying on top. "Bloody hell, is tonight the dance?" you inquired.  
>"Erm- yeah, yeah it is" Luna replied, "Are you going to go?" she asked tentatively.<br>"No" you replied, "But that does not mean you aren't" you added quickly knowing very well how excited the others had been about the ball. "Just because I am miserable, I'm not going to drag the rest of you down with me".  
>"But we want to stay with you Anna" she said kindly, "It is just a dance".<br>"No, really Luna I want you all to go. I could use some alone time anyways... but could you do me one favor?" you asked.  
>"Yeah sure" she replied.<br>"Burn that dress for me..."

Your hair was a complete mess, your skin was pale, and you had large, puffy bags under your eyes that shone with depression. It was pretty obvious to everyone who saw you that you weren't in the most cheerful of mood and they all could figure out why when they saw Draco and Ruby walking around the school arm in arm. Everyone shot you sympathetic looks as Luna literally dragged you into the Great Hall. You looked over to the Gryffindor table, which was pretty empty, because you had shown up pretty early. To your surprise you saw Draco standing near your usual spot at the Gryffindor table and your stomach did a hopeful flip when you thought he might be waiting for you. But your heart sunk when he walked away back toward the Slytherins with a scowl on his face. Again you felt like just breaking down right then and there, but you composed yourself not wanting to appear weak...

Only a few minutes later the rest of the gang showed up with the exception of Hermione who had decided to sit with Seamus for some reason that day. No one mentioned the word Draco or Ruby the whole time much to your appreciation; they knew how hurt you were.

"Aren't you going to eat something Anna? Look, it is your favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!" Harry said pointing down at the tray in front of you.  
>"I'm not hungry" you said simply; you felt like if you ate anything you would just end up throwing it back up. You rested your head despairingly on the table and closed your eyes, but opened them again when you heard someone else sit down at the table. You looked up to see the Gryffindor boy Neville Longbottom talking to Harry about something. He was a nice guy with sparkly blue eyes and short brown hair. He was a tad on the chubby side and was a good deal shorter than the other guys as well. You were pretty good friends considering you were in the DA together and you used to help him out in Transfiguration before the classes got split into different levels. He wasn't the brightest or most talented of wizards, but he was sure as hell a lot braver than most people gave him credit for. You remembered back to that day at the Department of Mysteries, when he took hit after hit of the Cruciatus Curse without breaking down.<p>

"Morning Neville" you muttered in greeting trying your best to smile.  
>"Good morning Anna" he responded with a small, kindhearted smile in return. As he said this he reached down and grabbed one of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the tray and began to eat it. You rested your head back down, but were soon brought back to your sense by Luna's shriek. As you bolted awake you were horrified to see Neville keeling over on the ground clutching his throat with his face turning a darker shade of purple with every second. Immediately you put two and two together... You grabbed up one of the sandwiches from the tray and opened it; taking only a small dab of jelly with your finger you tasted it and instantly knew what was wrong with Neville.<p>

"It is a Choking Potion!" you yelled, vanishing the rest of the poisonous sandwiches promptly from the table. You literally jumped over the table to Neville's side, "Just keep breathing and stay calm, it will go slower if you just stay calm" you advised him before levitating him in the air with your wand. You ran out of the Great Hall that broken out into worried whispers with the gang following closely on your heels. You turned a sharp corner and bolted into the Hospital Wing where you rested Neville down on an empty bed. Madame Pomfrey came bursting out of her office with a shocked look on her face at the sight of Neville. "It is a Choking Potion!" you repeated, "Do you have Coughing Serum? It should be enough to counteract the spell" you asked.  
>"Yes, yes dear I do!" Madame Pomfrey replied sprinting over to her cabinet and pulling out a vial of green liquid, which she quickly poured down Neville's throat.<p>

Within a few moments his skin had faded back into its usual color and his breathing became slow and steady once again, but he had passed out in the process. You sat down in the chair beside his bed and took a few deep breaths to try and calm yourself down from the excitement.

"That was absolutely amazing Miss Darcy, I would have never have known to use Coughing Serum" Madame Pomfrey admitted, "Seventy-five points to Ravenclaw for outstanding knowledge" she said before leaving to go back into her office.

"You saved his life Anna" Blaise said resting his hand on your shoulder, "You were bloody amazing back there" he stated still in awe of her quick thinking.  
>"Yeah, thank Merlin one of us actually pays attention during Potions" Harry added.<br>"I don't deserve any praise" you mumbled out feeling much more guilty than proud at that particular moment, "It is my fault he ate the potion in the first place". Everyone looked at you with confused expressions; they had obviously not put everything together yet.

"What is my favorite food in the whole wide world?" you asked them.  
>"Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches" Luna responded instantaneously.<br>"Right and what type of food was the usually fatal, choking potion in?" you questioned further.  
>"The peanut butter and jelly sandwiches you don't- you don't think someone was trying to kill you, do you?" Blaise asked as understanding dawned on him.<br>"I sure as hell do, I saw Draco walking away from that very tray when I entered the Great Hall; he obviously did something to them. With Freddie on their side they are obviously going to know everything about me, even stuff as simple as my favorite food. He could have died, because of me" you whispered looking back down at Neville.  
>"But he didn't because of you" Ron added, "If Draco did this than really is on their side now" he whispered "What if he tells Voldemort about the DA? We'll all be exposed like that" he said snapping his fingers for effect. Suddenly everyone's face went ghostly pale... they had never even though of that.<p>

"Well he hasn't yet" Hermione stated walking into the room for the first time, "If he had his face would be currently covered in boils if you don't remember my clever little charm. The boils last for at least a week with nothing you can do to get rid of them, so he hasn't revealed anything to them yet" she finished and you all looked more relieved.  
>"But why?" Ron asked, "You'd think he'd be pouring out our secrets to them'.<br>"Doesn't want to ruin that pretty face of his" you sneered rolling your eyes.  
>"Actually Anna is probably right; you know Malfoy and his pride" Harry stated. A pain shot through your stomach at Harry's word; he had just referred to Draco as Malfoy for the first time in months now. So it had come to this... back to the old days when Harry was Potty, you were Darcy, and Draco was Malfoy.<p> 


	49. Chapter 49

Neville woke up a little while later and must have thanked you at least a hundred times when he heard the story of what had happened. You smiled and said you're welcome, but you still couldn't help, but feel guilty about what had happened. You could not help, but think it was your fault that he had almost died in the first place. You thought back to Draco walking away from the Gryffindor table; it had to have been him who poisoned the sandwiches, but you didn't want to believe it.

You waved goodbye to Luna, Harry, Blaise, Parvati, Seamus, and Hermione as they all went off to the ball that night. Ron and you decided that you would rather just hang out then go to the ball; both of you were pretty heartbroken and not too keen on seeing your old lovers hanging all over other people. Instead you both decided to go for a walk around the lake. Dumbledore had forbid you from going outside after dark without supervision, but you needed so desperately to clear your head and there was something about the Hogwarts Lake that calmed you. Maybe it was the quiet sound of the small waves lapping up against the shore; the soft splashing of the giant squid, or maybe it was just how serene the black waters looked at night with the stars reflecting beautifully of the surface.

"We shouldn't be out here, should we?" Ron whispered breaking the silence of the night.  
>You grasped on tighter to his arm as a gust of wind swept through your cloak, "No we probably shouldn't" you replied, "The adults would probably flip if they knew we were, but hell when have I ever followed the rules before in my life?" you finished with a small chuckle.<br>"Yeah I suppose you are right and it just feels so perfect out here, you know? Like everything in the world isn't going completely wrong" he sighed and you nodded in agreement. Ron was right; being out on the grounds under the stars served as peaceful distraction from the cruel reality that waited for you inside the portrait-lined walls of Hogwarts.

You jumped suddenly when you heard something that sounded like a twig breaking in the distance. "Did you hear that?" you hissed in Ron's ear as your eyes darted nervously around you every which way, searching for a shadow in the darkness. You immediately grabbed your wand from the back pocket of your jeans and Ron did the same looking very panicky. "Just relax, it might be nothing" you whispered gently taking a brave step forward into the blackness squinting for anything out of the ordinary. "Lumos" you muttered and the tip of your wand lit up illuminating the world around you.

Nothing... Even with the light of your wand you saw nothing, but trees, grass, and the lake in front of you. You breathed a heavy sigh of relief and turned back to face Ron who also looked as if a huge weight had just been taken off of his chest. "I guess we are just paranoid" you said, "We should really be getting back, this is too dangerous". 

"Yes very dangerous indeed Darcy, how very foolish of you to go wandering after dark" a faceless voice laughed from behind the shadows. You screamed at the sound and jumped over to where Ron was before thrusting your wand out in front of you defensively... if you were going to die now, you were not going to go without one hell of a fight.

"Yes it was rather foolish, wasn't it? I suppose Dumbledore told you kiddies to stay inside didn't he, but you just did not want to listen. Oh the stupidity of youth, thank Merlin for it. It sure as hell makes our job a lot easier" a second voice sneered in response to the first.  
>"Who are you? Show yourselves!" you demanded; you voice coming out clear and strong even though your entire body was shaking with fear.<br>"You hear that mates? She wants us to show ourselves" a third voice joined in; this particular voice sounded vaguely familiar to you. "What do you reckon we should do?" yet another voice added to the conversation.  
>"I reckon we should reveal ourselves, it is getting cold and there is a nice fire going back at the headquarters" what sounded like the second voice again suggested.<p>

At the last words five shadowy, cloaked figures stepped from the darkness into the light of your wand. You heard Ron gasp as they pointed their wands threateningly at you, drawing closer with every passing second. Your wand was gripped tightly in your hand, but for some reason you just froze up as the figures approached you. All the spells and curses you had learned in the DA meetings just went out the window at that moment as your nerves got the better of you.

"Oh look, the poor children are terrified" one of the cloaked figures laughed maniacally.  
>"Hah! Look at little Anna shaking from head to toe" another voice broke in and this time you recognized who was speaking. It was none other than Freddie Martin, your old friend turned Death Eater standing in front of you with his wand pointed straight toward your heart. He no longer cared if you lived or died; actually he probably would much rather have you dead. Suddenly you felt a fierce anger pulsating through your body; you wanted to hurt him so badly for hurting you.<p>

"REDUCTO!" you screamed slashing your wand in the air and sending the shrouded figure you knew to be Freddie flying through the air in a cloud of red sparks. You heard a splash and smiled contently when you realized you had sent him right into the lake. "STUPEFY!" you yelled and another one fell over to the ground temporarily paralyzed. Suddenly there were jets of blue, purple, and red light shooting at you. You grabbed Rons wrist and pulled him to the ground out of the way of the spells; "We can do this Ron, just remember everything we learned in the DA" you said to him and he nodded with a determined look on his face.

You and Ron stood back-to-back sending various jinxes and curses at the frustrated Death Eaters who had surrounded you. Numerous times you had sent them into the lake and looked like you were winning until you suddenly began to feel weak You tried to swish your wand correctly but your arm just hung limp at your side and your vision became impaired. You began swaying back and forth dizzily and were about to collapse when, "BIND!" a cold woman's voice screeched from the darkness and you felt two ropes wrap tightly around your body making you and Ron drop your wands to the ground at your feet. "You idiots! You can't capture two bloody kids on your own, I told him not to send newbies out for this kind of thing, but does he ever listen to me!" the voice continued to rant as its source stepped out into the middle of the circle, it was none other than Bellatrix Lestrange.

"I'm sorry Mistress; they were more skilled than we thought they would be. We were starting to win though, the girl stopped shooting out spells" one of them apologized bowing down and kissing her feet.  
>"Of course they are skilled you bloody imbeciles! No doubt Dumbledore is training them already and the girl <em>is<em> my daughter. What else would you expect?" Bellatrix hissed in reply kicking the bowing Death Eater away from her in disgust. "Anyways... you say she stopped shooting out spells? Than it must be truth, division is their weakness" she thought out loud before she removed her eyes from the man at her feet and stared straight at you; as she did a sadistic smile crept out upon her face. "Hello daughter dear, how are you feeling?" she asked in a falsely sweet voice as she stepped closer to where you and Ron were tied up and picked both your wands up off the ground. "And if it isn't a little Weasel, the Minister of Magic's son, eh? Brilliant" she snickered looking very pleased with herself.

"What are you going to do with us, huh? Because if you are going to kill me, you might as well just do it now" you spat maliciously at her.  
>She laughed at your words, "Is poor little Anna heartbroken about her boyfriend?" she taunted. You cocked an eyebrow curiously at her, how did she know about Draco's behavior? "Afraid I can't kill you yet my dear or your little red-headed friend here; see you two are worth quite a bit to Dumbledore, aren't you? You are the perfect <em>live<em> bait" she sneered before standing up to face the other Death Eaters. "Take them back to Headquarters now, I'm sure not even you idiots can bugger something that simple up" she demanded rudely before disappearing back into the shadows once more.

As she left you were lifted up into the air by the wands of the Death Eaters and marched over to the edge of the lake where a few wooden boats were waiting. You slid across the lake in silence; they had put a silencing charm on both you and Ron by this point, and then down the path leading towards Hogsmeade where more black-cloaked wizards met you. A few grabbed hold of you and you soon felt the weird sensation of being pulled up by your navel as you were transported away from Hogwarts.

You hit the cold, dusty stone floor with a loud crash. After trying to stand up you realized that you and Ron were still bound tightly together by Bellatrix's spell. Your eyes darted around to take in your surroundings and it was not a happy sight. The room was dark and grotesque; with spider webs adorning every corner, iron shackles hanging from the wall, and various other instruments of torture thrown here and there. "We are so dead" Ron mumbled hopelessly from behind you.  
>"We aren't dead yet Carrot Top" you replied, "We are not dead just yet".<p>

"The captives are here Rookwood" you heard a voice say from outside the door; "I have them locked up in this cell here" it continued.  
>"Good, good. I heard Bella had to save your asses back there, huh?" Rookwood sneered sounding amused by the whole thing. "Well we need someone to keep a close guard on them, how about you Raven?" he asked, but it sounded much more like a demand than a question.<br>"Yes sir" another voice replied obediently and just then the door of the cell opened up.

A cloaked figure stepped through the door and then quickly closed it behind him afterwards. "Hmm... it is kind of dark in here" the person commented, "Lumos!" and at this the room lit up considerably.  
>"Who are you?" you questioned straightforwardly as you regained your usual bravery once more, although you were still feeling awfully weak for some reason.<br>"The name is Race Raven, but you will refer to me as Raven" he replied removing the hood from his face and smirking at the two of you. He was a tall, muscularly built boy who could not have been much older than eighteen. He had spiky raven black hair tipped with a shocking red color, brilliant electric blue eyes, and rather pale skin.

"Well it is nice to meet you Raven, the name is Anna Darcy and this here is Ronald Weasley" you replied returning his smirk, "How old are you? I can't remember you from Hogwarts" you commented.  
>"Eighteen and I didn't go to Hogwarts my dear, I am Durmstrang boy. I dropped out my last year though for this crappy excuse for an occupation" he responded bitterly, "Now will you please stop making small talk darling... I am in fact your guard and a Death Eater".<br>"Aw- but you seem like a nice little Death Eater" you said flirtatiously as you batted your eyelashes seductively and you heard Ron scoff from behind you. "Now will you be a doll and untie these ropes? They are cutting off my bloody circulation, I mean come on we are wandless and you already have us locked up anyways".  
>He cocked an eyebrow at you; "Well aren't you the bold one" he chuckled, "Not many of the prisoners I guard are so chatty. I suppose that I could untie you" he said with a shrug and with a wave of his wand you felt the ropes remove themselves from around your body. You took in a deep inhale of breath; the ropes had been hindering your breathing quite a bit.<p>

You stood up off the ground and brushed yourself off a little. But after a few moments of standing up you immediately felt like you were going to collapse. You had been feeling particularly weak, both mentally and physically, since Draco had betrayed you, you fought to keep yourself upright though. When you looked over you saw Raven looking you up and down with a smirk once more on his face. "Like what you see?" you asked coldly before leaning over to attempt to help Ron up.  
>"Well I must admit I typically don't get to guard prisoners as attractive as you love" he replied with a wink.<br>"Watch it Raven" Ron warned glaring nastily at him and putting his hands on your shoulders in a protective older brother sort of manner.  
>"No you watch it Weasel or whatever your name is, I am the one with the wand, which means I am in charge here in case you forgot" he responded callously.<p>

"So what is there to do around this joint?" you asked twirling a piece of your hair with your finger and changing the subject quickly. Race didn't seem like a bad guy and you were known to be pretty charming sometimes, maybe you could win him over and save yourself.  
>"Nothing at all" Raven muttered in an irritated voice rolling his eyes, "Have we met before? You look so bloody familiar?" he asked squinting at you.<br>"Do you know a man by the name of Rudolphus Lestrange?" you asked him.  
>"Yeah he is my boss- Holy crap! You look just like him!" Raven exclaimed, "So- so you are his daughter? The one that they were all talking about" he said, "Hah! Looks like I got a more important job than I thought" he said with a smile. "Well I guess your boyfriend wasn't lying, you are a beautiful thing."<p> 


	50. Chapter 50

**More than half way through!**

* * *

><p>You instantly spun your head around to look him dead in the eye; did he just say your <em>boyfriend<em>? How did he know Draco?

"What do you mean my boyfriend?" you inquired curiously still staring straight into his eyes.  
>"That boyfriend of yours, Draco Malfoy... I guarded him Thursday and he would not stop rambling on about you. Anna this, Anna that, Anna is so wonderful, Anna is so bloody amazing! I ended up having to put a silencing charm on the blonde little bugger" he laughed.<br>"What the hell?" you heard Ron mumble under his breath, "Draco is at Hogwarts though".  
>"You- you mean- you mean Draco is here? Where? Is he okay? How long has he been here? Then who is at Hogwarts?" you blurted out in one very long sentence. Your heart was racing at the thought that Draco really hadn't turned against you after all, but also because he could be hurt or even worse... dead by now.<p>

"Okay first breath" Raven instructed taking a seat against the brick wall of the room, "And sit... I don't like when people are taller than me. Don't ask".  
>"Erm- okay then?" you replied taking a seat as well and pulling Ron down beside you.<br>"Okay as for your questions, Draco is here; I think he is actually in the next cell over. He is alive, but I doubt he is what you would define as _okay_. Montague took over as his guard for me and he is not nearly as nice as me, plus I think he is going into interrogation soon and that shouldn't be exactly fun" Raven said. This comment made you nervous... interrogation? That could not be good.

"Interrogation? What is interrogation?" you asked feeling a little panicky.  
>"It is when they ask you a bunch of questions dumbass" Raven quipped.<br>"I know that you moron! I mean what type of things does this interrogation consist of? What are they asking him?" you retorted with a glare.  
>"I told you, questions" Raven replied simply twirling his wand between his fingers.<br>"What kind of bloody questions? And what are they going to do to get him to answer those questions, you stupid little git!" you yelled in frustration.  
>"Don't you call me a git you little prat, jeez I don't know how your boyfriend put up with you" Raven muttered and you rolled your eyes at him.<br>"Hah... you two are way too much alike" Ron chuckled at your argument, "You sure you aren't brother and sister or something?" he added.  
>"I am just going to ignore that comment Carrot Top" Raven stated, "Anyways... there will be some torture involved of course, I mean how else are they going to get him to talk?" he finished.<br>"And if he doesn't spill the beans...?" you inquired apprehensively.  
>"Hah, let's just say I would not want to be him" Raven chuckled and you and Ron exchanged nervous glances.<p>

"Raven, you in here?" a husky voice grunted as the cell door swung open. In the doorway was a mammoth, broad shouldered boy who looked around twenty. He had a rather fierce unibrow, cold black eyes, a long pointed nose, and scruffy brown hair. You recognized him instantly as Montague; he used to be captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team before Flint.  
>"What ever do you want Monty Goon?" Raven sniggered and Montague glared at him evidently not too fond of the little nickname.<br>"I unlike you Raven have been asked to accompany Bella's troops on a raid of a nearby muggle village tonight" Montague replied looking pleased with himself, "I of course will not be able to guard my prisoner, so I am dropping him off here. Have fun" he hissed throwing a body inside of the cell.  
>"No you have fun torturing muggles Monty! Just don't get yourself killed out there alright; you know how absolutely <em>heartbroken<em>I would be" Raven called after him sarcastically before slamming the door shut.

You looked down at the trembling heap on the ground in front of you. They had a head of long platinum blonde hair and you instantly knew who it was. "Draco! Oh Merlin, Draco are you okay?" you asked frantically jumping to his side and shaking him gently. He looked absolutely terrible with bleeding cuts ands bruises adorning nearly every inch of his now extremely thin and frail body, like he hadn't eaten anything.

"Anna?" he whispered; his voice was hoarse and sounded strained, "Anna is that you?" he murmured lifting his eyelids to reveal his amazing ice blue eyes that you loved so well. You breathed a sigh of relief when you saw them; there was that warmth again. The warmth that had been absent in the eyes of the imposter Draco back at Hogwarts. There had been fear there too, but when he saw you the fear seemed to fade away and was substituted instead with hope.  
>"Yes it's me Draco, I am here for you now" you replied lifting up his head and resting it gently on your lap stroking his hair. You ran your hand over his cheek and whispered a spell causing a bruise there to slowly fade. As your hand touched his cheek you felt a weird tingling sensation run through your body. That feeling of perfection that you were so used to getting when you were with him returned to you and it felt as if you were once more regaining the strength you had been missing.<p>

"Wow, Monty Goon must have been in a particularly nasty mood today, huh?" Raven said looking over Draco's bruised and beaten body.  
>"I didn't tell them anything Anna; I refused to tell them anything about you-know-what" Draco whispered to you ignoring Raven's comment.<br>"_Shh_... Just relax love, everything will be okay" you cooed kissing him gently on the forehead. He smiled as you did this and closed his eyes before drifting off into his first real sleep since he had been captured.

"He didn't tell them anything" Ron sighed with relief as you continued to mend Draco's injuries with a healing spell that you had learned from your late foster mother who was a Healer at St. Mungo's.  
>"You a Healer?" Raven asked noticing the spell that you were performing.<br>"I hope to be one day, you know if I live through this" you replied without taking your eyes away from Draco. "Raven?" you questioned.  
>"Mhmm?" he responded.<br>"If Draco is here, then who is at Hogwarts? And how?"


	51. Chapter 51

"Oh come on Anna, you seem like you are a clever girl" Raven replied cocking an eyebrow at you, "How can one person be in two places at once?" he asked.  
>"One person can't, so one is an imposter... I am not that stupid Raven" you hissed back, you hated being treated like you were child; especially by someone who was the exact same age as you. "My guess is that someone is using a Polyjuice potion, since I actually have experience with that potion already. What I want to know is <em>who<em> is doing it?" you finished all the while gently healing Draco's wounds.  
>"They sent Flint to do it, because he used to be a Slytherin so he knew all the people and how Draco used to act before he met you I suppose" Raven finally answered you straight to your surprise. Your eyes narrowed and your fist clenched at his words, there weren't many people that you hated more than Marcus Flint and now you hated him even more if that was possible. But you were also comforted to know that it had been him, your enemy, saying all those horrible things about you and kissing Ruby instead of Draco.<p>

"That git! We should have known!" Ron said angrily pounding his fist on the stone floor, "We should have told Dumbledore about it, he would have figured it out".  
>You bit your bottom lip guiltily at Ron's words; he was right when he said that you should have told Dumbledore. The headmaster would have probably figured everything out and maybe you would have been able to save Draco before he was tortured so badly. If you had told him you might not be locked up in the Death Eater Headquarters and Marcus Flint wouldn't be running around Hogwarts. You had thought about telling him after Draco started acting unusually, but had decided against it mostly because you thought you could handle things on your own. You wanted to prove that you were strong by dealing with Draco yourself instead of running to a professor for aid. A feeling of stupidity came over you when you realized that just listening to Dumbledore could have prevented all this, he had specifically told you to let him know if anything went wrong and he had also told you never to wander outside after dark. He had trusted you and you had let him down.<p>

"Well too late now" Raven said still twirling his wand in his fingers, "So anyways... how did you learn that Healing spell?" he asked you curiously.  
>"I picked it up from my foster mom, she was a Healer at St. Mungo's" you replied.<br>"Do you- do you erm- think that you could heal this?" he mumbled out, while lifting up his shirt to show you something that made you gasp in shock. Across his stomach was a long, open laceration that looked like it had been done with a sword. There were black and blue bruises as well as other smaller cuts surrounding it. Raven looked up at you and you could tell he was nervous asking this favor of you by the look in his eyes.

"Why should I?" you responded harshly breaking your eye contact with him. Your first instinct of course was to help him out, because he did in fact seem like a nice guy. But when you thought about it, it would just be foolish of you to do so. He was a Death Eater and the one guarding you; the weaker he was the better chance you had of eventually escaping.  
>"Because it hurts like a bitch" Raven countered, "Oh never mind, I don't know why I even asked" he muttered pulling his shirt back down over him.<p>

The rest of the night was spent in an awkward silence. Ron sat in the corner chipping Hermione's name into the wall with a rather sharp rock he had found on the ground. Raven was amusing himself by changing the tips of his hair different colors and admiring them in a mirror he had conjured up. You were passing the time by staring down at Draco, going over his every feature with your eyes and taking in all of him. Never in your life did you think you could be so in love with another person. You just laid there praying that somehow you both would get out of this alive; just praying that you could still have a future with him by your side.

"I'm bored" Raven declared vanishing the mirror; his hair was now tipped with a bright green.  
>"Run out of colors?" you asked with a small, amused smile on your lips.<br>"Yeah, there is still pink and purple I suppose... but I just don't see myself as that type of guy, you know?" he responded, "Anyways like I said before I am bored. Now as my prisoners I _order_ you to entertain me" he finished.

You snorted at his request, "Yeah okay, when pigs fly bird boy!" you answered, "You know Raven is kind of a girly name mate" you commented and you heard Ron laugh from his spot in the corner behind you.  
>"IT IS NOT!" he retorted instantly as if he had heard that comment before, "You better watch it Darcy, you know I could kill you if I wanted to" he said holding up his wand and pointing at you threateningly.<p>

By doing this he had probably hoped to get a scared or apologetic reaction from you, but there was no such thing. Instead you rolled your eyes at him and even let out a little chuckle. "You won't kill me mate, because if you kill me they will kill you. I'm one of Mr. Potter's best friends and pretty valuable to the both sides of this war and they know it; they are going to want me to be around for what did they call it Ron? Live bait" you said raising an eyebrow at Raven. This comment made him drop his wand back down to his side and break eye contact with you; "Yeah... that's what I thought" you scoffed.

Another few moments of silence passed after this until this time it was you who spoke up, "Hey Raven... truth or dare?" you questioned.  
>"What did you say?" he responded giving you a strange look.<br>"Truth or dare? Come one you said you were bored, so I thought we would play a little game!" you replied with a wink.  
>He shrugged and then looked thoughtfully off into space, "I have a feeling if I say dare it will be to set you free from this hell hole. Since that would certainly end up with me dying a very painful death I am going to go with truth" he proclaimed.<br>"Alright then, why did you become a Death Eater?" you asked nonchalantly. By doing this you hoped to learn a little more about the boy in front of you, by the way he talked and acted he didn't seem like he was totally in to the whole Death Eater deal, he actually seemed bitter about it.

"My father" he answered without any hesitation whatsoever, "He made me drop out of Durmstrang about a month ago, so I could wear a stupid black cloak and torture muggles... it is a ruddy blast" he finished sarcastically.  
>"I'm sorry man" you said sympathetically; actually finding yourself feeling bad for him. You reckoned that he was actually a lot like Draco had once been; forced into a life he never wanted by his father.<p>

"Don't feel sorry for me" he said simply, "Anyways Carrot Top, truth or dare?"  
>"Truth, I guess" Ron replied, "I don't even want to know what types of dares one could think of in a place like this" he said as his eyes looked around the sinister chamber.<br>"Alright, who the hell is Hermione?" Raven asked looking at the name Ron had cut into the wall.  
>"Oh... an ex-girlfriend" he replied sheepishly and blushing a little, "She is at a ball right now having fun with <em>Seamus<em>" Ron said Seamus' name with nothing but resentment.  
>Raven laughed quietly at Ron's response, "Poor bloke, lost your gal to Irish man, eh?"<p>

Ron glared at Raven before turning to you, "Anna truth or dare?" he asked.  
>"Truth" you replied simply, you like Ron and Raven did not want to go anywhere near the types of horrible dares one could think up in a place as dangerous as this.<br>"Are you scared?" he asked shortly and honestly. All you could think was of course you were scared; you had just been captured by a band of Death Eaters who would just love to kill you off. But you hadn't shown your fear to anyone the whole time. You stood up Bellatrix back at Hogwarts and to Raven when he first entered your prison cell. Any onlooker would have thought you weren't frightened in the least that your life could be ended at any moment, but the truth of it was that you were absolutely terrified. You were terrified about everything... being captured, Draco's health, your friends back at school who would certainly go searching for you, and of course that prophecy you still had hanging over your head in the end.

"Petrified" you replied not looking him in the eye. Anyways your turn again Raven, truth or dare? "Truth" Raven repeated; you noticed him looking at you a little strangely now after your reply to Ron's question. "Okay then... have you ever been in love or are you in love?" you inquired.  
>Raven looked rather taken aback at your question, "I- erm- well yeah..." he mumbled out, "There was this girl I met from Beauxbatons when we all came to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament remember? Her name was Colette LaPierre and Merlin was she beautiful. She moved differently than any other girl I had ever seen before; she was just so graceful, so perfect. As soon as I saw her I thought that girl is never going to want anything to do with me, you know? Turns out she found me pretty attractive too" he chuckled staring up at the ceiling as if picturing her in his mind, "We started talking and everything just seemed to click" he sighed dreamily.<br>"Kind of like when Hermione and I first met each other" Ron said in a depressed tone.  
>"Or Draco and I at the start of sixth year" you whispered stroking his hair. "What happened to her Raven?" you asked gently, he sighed heavily before opening his mouth ready to spill his heart out...<p> 


	52. Chapter 52

"I went to visit her this Christmas and I told her about my leaving school and- and then she saw this" Raven said lifting his sleeve up a little to reveal the Dark Mark tattooed clearly on his forearm, "Needless to say she decided that she could do better and left me" he finished looking nearly on the verge of tears. You reached out and rested your hand gently on his arm and gave him a sympathetic look. He looked utterly perplexed by your act of kindness toward him.  
>"I know it is hard not to let your parents run your life" you said, "But sometimes you just have to break away and do what you want to do... Draco did. He let go of everything his father wanted him to be and chose his own path, he chose me".<br>"Yes, but now he is about to die. That is what happens to all those who choose their own path in the pureblood world" Raven countered.  
>"But he is happy and he is in love. Is death really that bad? So many would sacrifice everything for just a few moments of happiness. You have to ask yourself what is worse, to die happy or to die leaving behind a life full of nothing but regret?" you responded calmly to his comment. He paused and seemed to ponder your words.<p>

"I have another question" you burst out all of a sudden as something popped into your mind, "Where did you get that cut?" you asked Raven.  
>He audibly gulped at your question, "My father erm- doesn't think I am a very good Death Eater, enough said" he replied quickly.<br>You nodded and just sighed as you rested your hand on the still sleeping Draco's shoulder and for the first time noticed that the silver, snake ring he had given to you was missing from your finger. "Oh shoot! My ring is gone" you said looking sadly at your bare finger.

Just as those last words escaped your lips you felt Draco stirring in your lap; he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at you. "Oh thank Merlin, it really wasn't a dream" he whispered lifting himself up. He pulled you into his arms tightly, so tight it felt as if he would never let you go. You ran your fingers through his hair and pressed your lips gently up against his in an innocent yet passionate kiss; it felt so wonderful to feel his lips touching yours and to taste him again.

"Alright, watch the making out! You two are going to make me toss my lunch" Raven broke in.  
>You gently released from Draco's embrace and he smiled at you with love shining in his eyes. "I thought I would never see you again Anna, I thought I would never get to tell you that I love you once more" he said.<br>"I love you too Draco" you replied wrapping your arms around him again.

"_Ahem_" Raven pretended to cough.  
>"Oh stop being a baby you dimwit, it's not like you haven't seen kissing before" you snapped.<br>"Don't you snap at me you little brat!"  
>"I will if I want to you git!"<br>"Stuck up-"  
>"Egotistical-"<br>"Stupid-"  
>"Idiotic-"<br>"Dumbass-"  
>"PRAT!" you both yelled in unison.<p>

Draco looked between the two of you like you were insane, while Ron started to laugh hysterically. "They have been doing that all night" Ron chuckled to Draco who in turn began to laugh with him.  
>"Oh shut up!" you and Raven yelled in perfect unison once again; after you both clapped your hands over your mouths at the exact same time.<br>"Jeez, are you sure that you two aren't related?" Ron asked his face crimson with laughter.

At this moment the door of the prison cell swung open and you looked up to see man in the doorway. He was tall and slender with wavy dirty blonde hair, honey brown eyes, and a spattering of freckles across his pale cheeks and nose. He wore a black cloak like the other Death Eater and he held a long, mahogany wand in his right hand. You immediately knew who this man was; because he looked just like you... it was your father. His eyes met yours as they scanned around the cell and they lingered there just staring. Neither one of you blinked for nearly a minute until Raven snapped you both back into reality, "Erm- can I help you sir?" he asked.

"You are Anna Darcy, you are my daughter" he whispered ignoring Raven's question.  
>"Yes I am" you replied your voice faltering a little in your nervousness.<br>"So it is true, you do look just like me" he commented stepping closer to you and kneeling down in front of you on the floor. "I have been trying to picture how you would look my entire life and I must say you have grown into a beautiful woman my dear, though you look nothing like your mother" he continued on, "I should have been able to raise you, you should have been _my_ daughter" at this point he had started talking more to himself than he was to you. He rested his hand gently on your cheek and looked at you with pure sorrow in his eyes identical to your own. To your surprise you didn't pull away from him, you actually felt comfortable with the man in front of you... you trusted he wouldn't hurt you.

"Ah- so I see you have met our daughter Rudolphus" Bellatrix hissed walking into the room. Immediately your father jumped back up to his feet seemingly becoming nervous at the sound of your mother's voice.  
>"Yes I have Bella, looks nothing like you" he replied not looking her in the eye.<br>"Yes, but I heard she got my attitude" Bella laughed sadistically, "That might get you in trouble one of these days girl if you don't pick your sides more wisely".  
>"I think I picked my side just fine thank you" you responded coldly to her comment.<br>Your father raised his eyebrows at your retort, "Well she certainly got your boldness".

"Is there erm- something wrong?" Raven asked standing himself up from the ground. He was fidgeting anxiously with the sleeve of his robe as if the two people in front of him were the Dark Lord himself.  
>"No Raven, I just came here to fetch my daughter for interrogation" Bellatrix answered with a wicked smirk across her face.<br>"WHAT?" Raven, Draco, and your father all burst out without delay.  
>"I said I am here to bring her to interrogation" Bellatrix repeated sounding annoyed, "Up girl!" she demanded and you obeyed walking to her side.<p>

"Good, I will be back for the Weasley boy when we are done with this one" she sneered pushing you in front of her roughly and pressing her wand up against your back. She marched you out of the prison cell and into a poorly lit, narrow hallway.

The four men in the room watched Bellatrix march Anna out of the room and down the hallway. "Are- are they going to hurt her?" Ron asked anxiously. "Ron do you remember what Draco looked like when he got thrown in here?" Raven asked.  
>"Yeah" Ron answered.<br>"Well it is going to be about ten times worse than that" Rudolphus mumbled before sweeping quickly out of the room after his wife and daughter.

Harry, Luna, Hermione, and Blaise all gathered around the Gryffindor dining table that morning for breakfast. They were all feeling particularly groggy that day after a very long night of dancing and having fun. Luna had pretty much fallen asleep on Harry's shoulder and the only way he was actually keeping himself from collapsing down into his porridge was by propping his head up on his fist. Blaise had spread out across the chairs of the table and rested his head on Hermione's lap and Hermione had literally fallen asleep sitting up; they made quite an amusing sight.

"Wake up sleepy heads!" a peppy, cheerful voice called waking them all up suddenly.  
>"What the hell do you think you are doing Creevey?" Blaise snapped sitting up and glaring at the short, freckly, blonde sixth year boy in front of him.<br>"_Humph_! Well someone is a little moody this morning" Colin responded indignantly, "I was just wondering if you would like me to take the picture of the DA tonight" he said in a hushed whisper, "And I wanted a picture of the three representatives too, I was actually thinking of making a whole scrapbook thing!" he said excitedly.  
>"Alright, yeah I suppose tonight is a good night" Harry replied, "Speaking of the representatives, where is Anna at? And Ron isn't here either" Harry said noticing for the first time two of his friends were not present at the table. At Harry's words everyone else seemed to notice too and began to look a little frantically around the Great Hall for any sign of them, but here was none.<p>

"Where the hell are they?" Harry exclaimed as he stepped out of the Gryffindor Common Room after checking the entire place at least ten times.  
>"They aren't in the Ravenclaw dorms either" Luna panted as she came running down the stairs.<br>"I checked the kitchens, the Astronomy Tower, and the Room of Requirement with no luck" Blaise reported.  
>"They're not in the library" Hermione added.<br>"We searched the entire grounds and couldn't find them anywhere, but we did find this near the lake" Colin with his little brother Dennis at his side replied holding out a small ring. It was silver and engraved with snakes, whose eyes were made out of spectacular ruby diamonds.  
>"Oh my... that is Anna's ring" Hermione whispered and they all exchanged worried glances.<p> 


	53. Chapter 53

Bellatrix brought you into a large dome shaped room at the bottom of a long flight of stairs. It looked very much like the old courthouses at the Ministry of Magic that you had seen once before. There was a circular area in the middle with a chair adorned with rusty, iron shackles on the armrests and on the legs. Around this spot were at least a hundred chairs encircling it; about half of them were occupied with Death Eaters smirking at you as your mother marched you over to the chair. She pushed you roughly forward, so you nearly fell over. "Lock her up Martin" she hissed, before turning around to a group of sinister looking men who were talking a few feet away.

Your jaw nearly dropped when you saw the person she had ordered to lock you up. There he was, Freddie Martin, standing in front of you by the chair. He looked completely different from the last time you had seen him over the summer going into your seventh year. His dark blue eyes no longer sparkled with a love for life, his once spiky brown hair was now lying flat and tangled, and his face was ghostly pale and bruised. He looked like he had seen way too much pain and suffering for someone so young. "Well if it isn't my old friend Frederick" you said coldly with a smirk on your lips.

His tired eyes looked away from you and down to the floor with what almost looked like guilt, but that soon faded away. "It is nice to see you Darcy, looks like you have landed yourself in some deep shit, huh?" he taunted you.  
>"Yeah and whose fault is that?" you hissed glaring maliciously at him. "I know what you have been up to you jackass, telling them peanut butter and jelly was my favorite food. Oh very clever, very clever indeed!" you said in mock praise.<br>"Oh I told them more than that mate" he replied threateningly grabbing your small wrist and planting you down on the chair brutally.  
>"Well it doesn't matter anymore now though, does it? I am going to be dead soon enough. How does it feel to know you betrayed one of your best friends to her death Freddie? How does it feel to know you helped end the life of someone who was never anything but kind to you. I hope you can't sleep at night Frederick Martin" you spat at him. Your comment seemed to catch him slightly off guard, because he paused in locking you up for just a second and just stared at you.<p>

"Get on with it Martin, I don't have all bloody day you twit!" Bellatrix scolded angrily.  
>"Right, sorry Mistress" he apologized bowing to her before turning back to you. He glared at you and continued to lock you up in the shackles now with a lot more added force. "Have fun being tortured to death" he whispered in your ear before walking off and sitting himself down in one of the chairs in the front row.<p>

Bellatrix smiled as Freddie finished and walked over to you placing a hand on your shoulder. "Today you will all have the honor of watching me get some answers out of my daughter here" Bella chuckled.  
>"You aren't getting jack out of me" you declared jerking your shoulder trying to get her hand off of you.<br>"_Ooh_ she is a feisty one isn't she" one of the men commented, "Definitely has your genes in her Bella, this should be a fun one my friends".  
>"Yes fun indeed" Bellatrix sneered in agreement pulling her wand out of her back pocket and pointing it right at your chest.<p>

"Alright let us begin... Where is the location of Dumbledore's Army Headquarters?" she inquired and you couldn't help but snort at her question.  
>"Like I am going to tell you that" you mocked rolling your eyes at her.<br>She glared at your less than satisfactory response, "CRUCIO!" she screeched and you felt a pain like no other pain you had felt before rush through your body. It was like fire was searing every inch of your skin and every bone in your body had shattered into a million pieces. "That is what happens when you don't answer a question right" Bellatrix laughed.  
>"Bring it on" you hissed at her with the utmost confidence even though you were trembling from head to toe in horrible, throbbing pain.<p>

"Which wizards are members of Dumbledore's Army?"  
>"Who is he recruiting?"<br>"Where will Harry Potter be traveling to over the summer?"  
>"Where will Harry Potter be living after school finally lets out?"<br>"What are Dumbledore's plans of attack?"

Each question she asked you answered with nothing, but silence or possibly a smartass remark here and there until you could no longer speak. This was because after every unanswered question a blast of the Cruciatus Curse followed, each one hurting more than the first. After about the fifteenth time your vision started to become blurry and you slowly felt your mind slipping away from you like you were going into a sort of coma-like state. Your body was convulsing so violently that you couldn't even make out Bellatrix's words anymore. "She's done; she lasted longer than the boy though" you were barely able to decipher her last words. Soon you felt the shackles around your ankles and wrists release you and someone lift you rather forcibly off of the chair and into their arms. You were carried up the stairs and then thrown on to a stone floor; that is where everything went blank.

You fluttered your eyes open to see Raven and Draco leaning over you both looking nervous. Draco's face lit up when he saw you awake; he pulled you gently into his arms and kissed you sweetly on the lips with such a love that it took your breath away. "I love you so much Anna" he whispered in you ear.  
>"It is nice to see you too darling" you chuckled, "But what the hell happened?" you moaned clutching your pounding head in severe pain, "It feels like I got run over".<br>"I bet it does, Bellatrix kicked the bloody crap out of you with the Cruciatus Curse" Raven answered.  
>You moaned again as the memory of the interrogation came back to your mind again. "I didn't tell them anything" you told Draco and he smiled at you.<br>"I know you didn't, you are the strongest person I know Anna" he responded stroking your cheek.

"Here take these, they will help you out... just don't tell anyone about it, you hear?" Raven said sternly before handing your three bright orange pills and a glass of water after you had been complaining about the pain once again.  
>Without a second thought of what might be in these mysterious pills you gulped them down and almost instantly felt a good majority of the pain leave you, though you did still feel pretty horrible. Unfortunately for some reason you weren't able to use the Healing charm on yourself. "Thanks Raven" you said with a small smile before you noticed something that troubled you. "Where is Ron?" you asked in a clearly panicked voice, your eyes darting around the room.<br>"They took him about two hours ago" Draco mumbled in response looking down at the floor.

Another hour passed by with no sign off Ron just yet. You had buried your head into Draco's chest that was slowly going up and down with his breathing. He had wrapped his arms around you very lightly so as to not hurt your severely sore body and was absentmindedly playing with your hair. Your mind buzzed with worries about Ron as you sat in the silence praying to yourself that he would be okay and that he wouldn't tell them anything. Ron definitely was not the strongest person in the DA, but he was loyal to Harry and you had faith in him.

Suddenly the door of the prison cell swung open with a loud bang that echoed through the room. You jumped and let out a little yelp in surprise; Draco in protective instinct pulled you closer to him, which in truth was somewhat painful, but you appreciated the gesture. "Looks like you are all just as stubborn as the next; we are going to have to resort to legilimency for you kiddies" Montague stated before throwing Ron violently to the ground at your feet making him moan in anguish. "I will see you all in three days; enjoy your stay" Montague sneered with a sick smile that showed his disgusting, rotting black teeth.  
>"I will make sure they do, now get your ugly mug away from here... you are making me sick Monty" Raven spat before slamming the door in his face.<p>

As soon as Montague was gone you sprang to Ron's side and lifted his head up into your lap. "How are you feeling mate?" you whispered stroking his various bruises and muttering the Healing spell quietly under your breath.  
>"Like shit... but I kept my mouth shut" he said with a triumphant look on his face.<br>"Of course you did mate, we knew you would" Draco said with a smile.  
>"Hey Raven, you got anymore of those pills?" you asked and he threw the bottle right at your head. "Oh thanks you twit" you mumbled rubbing the spot where he hit before picking the bottle up. "Here swallow these down it will help you out a bit" you instructed Ron and he did as you said without any hesitation.<p>

_"It hurts doesn't it little Anna? You have got some willpower in you though my daughter, but we will soon break you of that. CRUCIO!" a cold, callous voice echoed in your ears. Excruciating pain was shooting through your body like you had never felt before in your life. It was almost as if someone was stabbing daggers into every single inch of your body and then suddenly it ceased. But you were still trembling and with every breath you took sharp twinges of pain shot through you. Your vision was blurred and indistinct; you could barely make out the person standing in front of you pointing a wand straight at your heart. You squinted a little to see that it was none other than Bellatrix Lestrange with a cruel grin spread across her face and hatred glowing in her cold black eyes. "She's done; she lasted longer than the boy though" you could barely make out in your now almost coma-like state. 'Thank Merlin...' ran through your mind as you felt someone undoing the shackles around your wrists, 'I would have been dead in a few more curses, I don't know how Draco handled this so well...' With these last thoughts everything suddenly went black as you felt yourself plummeting into a hard, cold stone floor._

Harry sat up suddenly in his bed panting with sweat pouring down his forehead. The dream had felt so real, like it was him that had been sitting in the chair and receiving Bellatrix's Cruciatus curses. He replayed the scene over again in his brain, '_It hurts doesn't it little Anna? You have got some willpower in you my daughter, but we will soon break you of that..._' he thought about the words Bellatrix had said. It was Anna; he had been in Anna's body; felt what she felt, saw what she saw, and heard what she heard. Anna was in trouble, which meant so was Ron, and apparently Draco was there too... but how? He had to tell Dumbledore.


	54. Chapter 54

As another day passed by the pressing concern about the Death Eaters trying to enter your mind weighed down upon your soul. They had to wait three days for their most powerful legilimen, Brutus MacNair, to arrive so you were safe for the time being. But what if he was able to get into your mind and those Occlumency lessons with Snape were just useless. What if they saw the meetings in the DA room, all your friends would be revealed as Dumbledore's recruits. Or what if he saw you over the summer when you had stayed a little while at Twelve Grimmauld Place where the Order Headquarters was hidden. There were so many things at risk and unlike you Ron and Draco had never learned Occlumency... You could not risk them or you giving away such important information; you three had to escape and you had to escape _soon_.

"We have to get out of here, them reading our mind is too risky" you whispered in Draco's ear that morning; Ron and Raven were still fast asleep.  
>"I know, I know... but how?" he responded with anxiety in his icy blue eyes.<br>"I have been thinking and I believe I actually have a decent plan" you said with a twinkle in your honey brown eyes. Come on, you were _the_ Anna Darcy... the queen of mischief and one the cleverest students in Hogwarts, very rarely did you lack a brilliant plan of action.

"Raven? I erm- I wanted to say that I am really sorry" you said a few hours later when both Ron and Raven had woken up and Draco had secretively informed Ron of your plan.  
>"Sorry? Sorry about what?" Raven inquired giving you a peculiar look.<br>"About- well about when you asked me to heal that cut on your stomach and I said no. That was really insensitive of me and you have been nothing, but nice to us during our stay here unlike the others. You have to understand I was just a little apprehensive of you, but now- if you still want me to that is- I will gladly heal that cut for you" you said a voice that sounded sincerely apologetic; you were always a fantastic actress.  
>"Really? Thanks Darcy, the thing hurts like you wouldn't believe!" Raven exclaimed. "Wait- why the hell are you suddenly being so nice?" he asked suspiciously.<br>"I felt guilty I guess" you said with a shrug, "Do you want me to heal it or not?" you asked.  
>"Oh- okay sorry, just can't be too careful" he replied lifting up his shirt.<br>"Now Raven, this is a pretty serious injury and it might take me awhile. You are going to take of your entire shirt, so I can work with it easier" you told him.  
>He smirked at you, "Ah- Draco you better watch out, I think your gal is hitting on me" he chuckled and you slapped him on the arm indignantly. "Alright, alright" he gave in taking off his shirt that just happened to be holding his wand in the front pocket; now it was your turn to smirk.<p>

"Just hold still, okay darlin'?" you said moving to Raven's side and casually kicking his shirt back to where Ron and Draco were sitting and waiting. You slowly slid your hand over his abdomen whispering the spell under your breath. You purposely leaned over a little so some cleavage was showing and not really to your surprise that was all Raven could focus on as you healed him up. '_Typical guy_' you thought to yourself as you watched Draco retrieve Raven's wand from the corner of your eye; he slipped it in into the back pocket of your pants and a smile broke out on your face. "There all done!" you exclaimed patting him on his now injury free tummy.

"Thanks Anna" Raven said as you stood up over and slowly moved your hand around to your back pocket. With a swift, sudden movement you whipped his wand out in front of you, "Silencio!" you hissed. He jumped instantly and opened his mouth, but no words came out. He lunged immediately at you, but you were too quick, "Petrificus Totalus!" you hissed quietly as to draw no attention to your cell. His limbs snapped together instantly and he fell down to the ground paralyzed. You leaned over and looked him straight in the eye, "I am really sorry about this Raven, honestly I did like you, but I am not going to wait around and get myself and my friends killed" you whispered to him before straightening up. "Ready?" you asked the boys.  
>"Ready" they responded together.<p>

You took keys from Raven's pocket, which you used to slowly and cautiously open the cell door. You stuck your head out and peered down both ends of the corridor to make sure that the coast was clear. "Okay guys we only get one shot at this, if we are caught- well basically we are dead" you said.  
>"Thanks Anna, <em>real<em> encouraging" Ron said sarcastically rolling his eyes at you.  
>You ignored his comment, "Stay close behind me... I will lead, because I have the wand" they had elected you to hold the wand, because you were the one who knew the most spells and were the best in casting them.<br>"Anna" Draco said before the three of you began your perilous journey to freedom, "Just know that I love you okay" he whispered kissing you passionately on the lips, for what very well could be your last kiss.  
>"I love you too Draco..."<p>

The three of you snuck out into the dark, dingy hallway in a tight knit group with you leading the way, Ron in the middle and Draco watching the back closely. When you reached the end of the hallway you turned down the right hallway rather than the staircase you knew led to the room where you had been tortured. Surprisingly you got most of the way through without meeting another Death Eater until you met someone halfway down the third passage.

"What the hell? How did you three get out?" you stopped dead in your tracks when you saw Freddie standing in front of you. He ripped out his wand straight away and pointed it at you, "I don't know how you little buggers managed to get out, but I do know that you are going right back where you came from and I will be a hero for it" he said with a conceited smirk on his face. "Prepared to die my friends?" he chuckled. You glared back at him and pointed Raven's stolen wand at him, "Oh so you want to duel Darcy? Well bring it on" he sneered.

"REDUCTO!" he screamed before you even had time to react and you were thrown violently back into Ron in a cloud of red and blue sparks.  
>"IMPEDIMENTA!" you yelled from the ground and his movements suddenly slowed down before he was able to shout another spell. "STUPEFY!" you yelled, but since you were still on the ground your aim was off and the spell whizzed right past his head without hitting him. By this time your spell had worn off on him and he had raised his own wand again.<br>"STUPEFY!" he yelled at you and the jet of red light came shooting toward you.  
>"PROTEGO!" you shouted and a shield appeared in front of you bouncing the spell right back toward him, but he was able to move out of the way just in time.<p>

"Ah- a worthy competitor Darcy my lass! Not that I didn't expect it from you" he smirked.  
>"Enough talk Freddie... I want to be back at Hogwarts before dinner time" you chortled.<br>"Over my dead body" he hissed.  
>"I don't have any problem with that mate... PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" you screamed suddenly, but again he was able to evade getting hit.<br>"CRUCIO!" Freddie hissed and that same agonizing pain shot through you making you fall down to the ground trembling. "It is over now kiddies" Freddie hissed and then he opened his mouth to yell another spell, but you reacted too quickly for him...  
>"SILENCIO!" you shouted through your pain and as he made a swishing motion like a blade with his wand no words came out. That didn't stop the spell all the way however, because it suddenly felt like a sword had slashed across your stomach. It took all you had not to scream out in pain when the spell hit you; you looked up at Freddie's smiling face through your tears and never had you felt so determined to get revenge on someone in your entire life. "EXPELLIARMUS!" you screamed with all the strength you had left and Freddie's wand shot out of his hand and right into Draco's.<p>

At this you collapsed too weak to be of any more help in the battle and Draco stepped out in front of you. "Look who has got the wand now Freddie" Draco sneered threateningly, "You are going to pay for touching my girlfriend you filthy little bastard-" he said angrily.  
>"J-Just p-paralyze him..." you said quietly to Draco knowing very well that he planned on bringing truth to Freddie's words, '<em>Over my dead body<em>', but you didn't want anyone to die. "He w-will be in enough tr-trouble when they f-find out he l-let us get away" you added; your voice faltering.  
>"Yeah listen to your girlfriend mate, don't kill me" Freddie pleaded for his life and you felt like laughing. He had been so tough before, but now he was on the ground crying like a little girl whose doll got stolen.<br>Draco looked down at you and you gave him a pleading look; he sighed before muttering "Petrificus Totalus" immobilizing Freddie there in the middle of the hall.

"Now let's get the hell out of here" Ron suggested picking you up into his arms knowing very well you could no longer walk; he had seen the painful side effects of the curse that Freddie had used on you before in the Department of Mysteries when Dolohov used it on Hermione.  
>"I second that" Draco said now taking over the lead with Freddie's wand in hand.<br>"Me three" you agreed trying to keep your eyes open in case they needed help. Your heart leapt when you saw sunlight approaching at the end of the hall. Finally you allowed your eyes to fall shut thinking you were almost to freedom, but that thought vanished when you felt Ron stop dead in his tracks...

"Where do you children think you are going?"


	55. Chapter 55

Harry pounded on the door quickly waiting anxiously for Dumbledore's kind, elderly voice to tell him to come in. "Come in" the familiar voice sounded and Harry burst through the door without even the slightest hesitation. Dumbledore looked over the boy in front of him and instantly knew something was wrong. His hair was untidier than usual, his glasses were askew, perspiration trickled down his forehead, and his emerald eyes were shining with trepidation. "Mr. Potter what is wrong?" Dumbledore asked in the calmest voice he could manage as he stood up from his plush blue chair.  
>"I had a dream Professor!" Harry exclaimed, "I <em>was<em> Anna. I could see what she was seeing and feel what she was feeling. Bellatrix Lestrange was using the Cruciatus curse on her sir and asking her questions about the Order. She was in so much pain, _I_ was in so much pain" he said in one very long sentence. He took a deep breath and continued, "I could hear what she was thinking... Draco is with her, but I don't know how". As Harry finished speaking he realized how insane he sounded, but if anyone would believe him it was Dumbledore.

Dumbledore listened closely to every word that Harry said. Anna Darcy and Ronald Weasley, two extremely important young wizards, had been missing from Hogwarts since the night of the ball. Every able Order member there was currently was scouring the entire wizarding world for her of course, but so far that had been no luck except for a silver ring of Anna's that was found outside on the grounds. No one knew who had taken the two, how, or why, but Harry's dream seemed to clear a few things up. He had expected Harry and Anna to have these sorts of dreams; he had just never found the right moment to tell them about it.

"So Bellatrix has her... she must be at the Death Eater headquarters if they are interrogating her" Dumbledore thought out loud as he began to pace back and forth in his office. "You say Draco was with her? But isn't Draco here at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore inquired.  
>"Well yeah, but I specifically heard her think Draco!" Harry responded, "Besides the Draco at Hogwarts has been acting strange lately; he left Anna for Ruby Pickford and started acting all <em>Malfoyish<em> again" Harry explained for lack of a better word to describe his recent jackass behavior.  
>"What?" Dumbledore blurted out the calmness disappearing from his voice, "Why did no one tell me about this sooner? Come with me Potter" he ordered sweeping so swiftly out of his room and down the stairs that Harry had to jog in order to keep up with him. They walked for nearly five minutes toward the direction of the dungeons when Dumbledore finally stopped in front a large painting of an old wizard with a long, pointed nose and a wart on the tip of it.<p>

"Password?" the man asked in a bored tone.  
>"Toujours Pur" Dumbledore replied and the portrait hole swung open. After this Harry knew exactly where they were, the Slytherin Common Room. He had been in here once before when he, Ron, and Anna had all transformed into Slytherin students to see if Draco was the one who had opened the Chamber of Secrets. He smiled for just a moment when he remembered Anna as Pansy Parkinson, but a pain in his stomach immediately followed when he remembered his best friend was in danger.<p>

They walked through the rather cold room decorated with the silver and dark green colors traditional of that particular house. It was considerably darker in the Slytherin Common Room than it was in the cheerful Gryffindor one or the sophisticated Ravenclaw one that Anna had snuck him into a few times before. He followed Dumbledore up a flight of stairs he figured lead to the boys' dormitories and jumped in surprise when the old man swung open one of the doors rather violently. The boys who had been sleeping soundly in their beds all jumped up at the noise and Crabbe even went tumbling to the ground making Harry snort a little. "P-Professor, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Dumbledore ignored Crabbe's question and his eyes scanned over the room, "Mr. Malfoy may I speak with you for a moment please?" he asked the pale, blonde boy sitting up on his bed politely. Draco shrugged and rolled off his bed to follow the headmaster.  
>"What is Potter doing here in <em>our<em> Common Room?" Draco sneered glaring at Harry who just glared back in return.  
>"Because I want him to be here Mr. Malfoy, if that is your real name" Dumbledore replied and his comment seemed to make Malfoy very nervous.<br>"What are you talking about, of course that is my real name!" he exclaimed, though he was not wholly convincing.  
>"We will see about that", Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at him before suddenly muttering a spell and flicking his wand. The person in front of Harry who had originally looked like Draco Malfoy was now a cowering Marcus Flint.<p>

"What in bloody hell?" Harry exclaimed seeing his old school bully kneeling on the floor.  
>"Just like I expected" Dumbledore said before saying another spell to tie him up, "I will alert the Aurors to bring him to Azkaban immediately and also to start up a greater search. It seems we have three students missing now, rather than two" he sighed. His usually sparkling blue eyes were scared and had slowly begun to fade as these hard times passed by. Everyone looked up to the old wizard like he was Superman, so many people counted on him and hung on his every word, but the truth was Albus Dumbledore was getting old. Not even the man who was perhaps the greatest wizard there has ever been could defeat the horrible thing known as time. Time could beat the highest mountain down to the ground, kill the strongest king, ruin the largest city... in the end time won out; time was the strongest force on earth from which almost nothing could escape.<p>

Harry paced back and forth in the Room of Requirement running his fingers nervously through his black, untidy mop of hair. Luna was staring off into space with worry in her dreamy brown eyes, Blaise was looking dazedly into the fireplace, Hermione had buried her head in Seamus' shoulder, and the rest were all sitting around looking very anxious. The entire DA had been gathered together in the room after Dumbledore had told Harry that there was nothing he could do for his friends. Of course Harry didn't listen; three of his friends were in danger and he was not just going to sit back and do nothing about it. He could feel the urgency pulsating through his veins; somehow he could feel what Anna was feeling. She was petrified and worried about something; he had to save them by any means possible.

"You all know why I called this meeting today" Harry began still pacing. Everyone stopped staring off into space or into the fire and turned their attention towards him. "I have told you all about my dream, but it goes further than that. I can feel what she is feeling right now at this very moment and she is frightened about something. She needs our help, Draco needs our help, and Ron needs our help desperately" he sighed as he stopped pacing for a moment to look at the group hanging on his every word, "Consider this our very first mission my friends".

"Where do you children think you are going?" a voice asked from behind the three of you. It wasn't a cold or sneering voice, it actually sounded familiar to you. Instantly your heads spun around to see who had discovered you and there was Rudolphus Lestrange standing there with his arms crossed in front of his chest and an eyebrow raised.  
>You pointed Raven's wand, which you were still holding even though you were being carried by Ron and pointed it straight at him. "I am not afraid to hex you, I am getting out of here and you are <em>not<em> going stop me" you said in a calm, cool voice that would have made anyone nervous.  
>To your shock he actually smiled at your words, "You are your mother's daughter" he sighed, "She had such a fire in her that I just couldn't resist when I was a boy at Hogwarts. She was so strong, fierce yet beautiful at the exact same time. I fell in head over heels in love with her, but it seems now that she never even cared who I was, I was a rich pureblood and that is all that mattered" he reminisced. "Unlike her you have found better uses for that fire of yours. Take care of her you" he chuckled pointing at Draco, "Good luck my daughter and if anyone asks, I was never here" he finished with a wink before turning his back to you and walking off down the hall as if he had never even seen you.<p>

"Wh-what just happened there?" Draco asked trying to comprehend what had just happened. He still had his wand pointed out in front of him ready to jinx the man who could have been your road block to freedom.  
>"I don't know, but let's get the hell out of here before he changes his mind!" you snapped back and both Ron and Draco came out of a sort of daydream like state and both ran to the door at the top of a flight of stairs. Draco threw open the door and you all walked out into the sunlight, it stung your eyes after being locked away in the dark for such a long time. "Run!" you ordered not knowing how long you had until someone discovered Freddie or Raven, they didn't need to be told twice. Both Ron and Draco took off in a mad dash toward a forest not too far away; Ron a little slower because he was still holding you in his arms. When you reached the forest for the first time in awhile you felt safe, even though part of you still knew that you weren't really safe until you were back at Hogwarts.<p>

After nearly twenty minutes of flat out sprinting both boys stopped. "You can put me down" you told Ron and he thankfully rested you gently down onto the ground. He then collapsed down next to you and rested his head against a patch of soft moss. Draco sat down next to you still panting heavily; he gently lifted your head and rested it on his lap. He leaned over and kissed you lightly on the forehead.  
>"How are you feeling love?" he asked intertwining his fingers with yours.<br>"I'm feeling alright" you answered, "Just happy to be alive I guess".


	56. Chapter 56

"I am not so sure about this guys..." Hannah Abbott's quivering voice said from the back of the large group of students.  
>"<em>Shh<em> Hannah, we don't want to disturb the creatures of the Forbidden Forest. Believe me, I know from experience" Hermione responded.  
>"Hermione is right, if the centaurs hear us we will be in a very unpleasant dilemma" Harry added. The members of the DA had been trudging through the Forbidden Forest for about an hour so far that night. Harry had woken up from a dream where he was Anna once more; he saw Draco and Ron. He also saw that they were in the Forbidden Forest; all extremely beaten and tired looking. So immediately he alerted the rest of the members and now they were off on a search and rescue mission of their own to save their friends.<p>

"Are you sure about this dream Harry? I mean this could be- you know, another trap" Ginny said tentatively. She knew Harry hated when people brought up his mistake involving the Department of Mysteries, which in essence was the reason his godfather Sirius was killed.  
>"It is not a trap Ginny" Harry spat, "This time I was not in Voldemort's body, I was in Anna's. Why would she be trying to trick me?"<br>"Well you don't know, maybe they have her under some sort of spell or something" Ginny suggested.  
>"Anna is stronger than that Ginny" Luna snapped defensively getting fed up with her friend, "Harry's dream was real and Anna, your brother, and Draco are out in these woods all alone. We are going to save them and if you have a problem with that you can turn around and walk your little buttocks back to the castle got it?" she finished. Harry looked at his girlfriend in complete shock, as did everyone else who had heard; never had they heard Luna actually get angry and actually <em>yell<em> at someone; she didn't even do that to her enemies. Harry did have to admit he found her really attractive when she got worked up though.  
>Ginny nodded meekly, "Erm- yeah, sorry" she mumbled before retreating to the back to walk with Hannah.<p>

"Hey mates, just go easy on her, she is just worried is all" Colin told Harry and Luna; he had been developing a crush on Ginny lately and was a little defensive of her.  
>"I know Colin" Harry said through gritted teeth, "I am worried too you know! My best friends are all alone in the Forbidden Forest!" he hissed.<br>"Well your other best friends are here too risking their lives alright" Colin hissed back.  
>"Look, just go back and walk with your precious Ginny alright?" Luna snapped and Harry looked at her in shock once again. Who was this new Luna who actually stood up to and told other people off? It was so unlike her.<p>

"What is with you today?" Harry whispered in her ear resting his hand on her lower back.  
>"I am just a little edgy, I want to get my friends back" she said biting her bottom lip.<br>"Don't worry love, we will get them back" Harry said steadfastly.

"Are you sure that we are going the right way?" Seamus asked and Hermione gave him a hard look; she knew Harry did not want to be bothered.  
>"No, the Marauder's Map doesn't show this far off the grounds" Harry said simply.<br>"I don't mean to bug you mate" Blaise said quietly so as to not anger him, "But do you know what part of the forest they were in or what they were near? I might be able to help, I know these woods pretty well" Blaise told him, "I have served enough detentions in them".  
>"They were by a small lake in the middle of a clearing and that is all I really know... Draco was leaning over and getting some water and Anna- Anna was in a lot of pain" Harry whispered, "<em>A lot<em> of pain..."

"We should take a break" Draco spoke up as you reached a small clearing with a miniature lake in the center of it, "Anna you look absolutely terrible" he said running his fingers over your still bruised cheek.  
>"Yeah, too bad I can't do that damn Healing spell on myself huh?" you laughed, but immediately stopped when it felt like your abdomen was about to split open where Freddie's curse had hit you.<br>"Oh god, you really are hurt" he whispered with true concern dripping from every word. "Here let me take a look" he said lifting up your shirt, you shuttered a little at the touch of his hands against your bare skin. He gasped suddenly and you looked down to see a long, purple slash across your stomach that was identical to the one Raven had on his earlier.  
>"Bloody hell that is a nasty little curse they got there" you said ogling at the deformity on your stomach.<br>"Merlin, let me get you some water" he said rushing over to the lake. Ron just stared in shock.

"I am not letting you walk anymore" Draco stated firmly as he ladled some water into your mouth. You didn't protest, because at his point you highly doubted that you would be able to walk anyways. Your stomach was burning more and more with every passing second and your head had begun to spin; you weren't sure how much longer you could last without help of some sort.

"This is bad Draco" you heard Ron whisper to him down by the lake.  
>"I know it is, she is so pale. She looks like she's dead and that cut- Merlin that cut" he muttered.<br>"Now listen, this is a dangerous curse" Ron responded, "Dolohov cast it on Hermione in our fifth year and she was in St. Mungo's! She was bloody blacked out for days I think; I don't know how Anna is still even conscious. If we don't get her help soon, I don't even want to think about what could happen to her" Ron finished in a shaky voice.  
>"You don't mean she could-" Draco began, but he wasn't even able to finish his sentence.<br>Ron nodded, "She could _die_ mate".

"Well I am not dead yet mates" you called over to them in the strongest voice that you could muster up, but it still came out strained and scratchy. Both the boys jumped in surprise at your words, they obviously had thought you couldn't hear their conversation.  
>"No you are not and I am not going to let you die my love" Draco said firmly picking you up tenderly into his strong arms, "I am <em>not<em> going to let you die, my love" he repeated this time more to himself than to you.  
>"I know you won't" you whispered back resting your head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat.<p>

You awoke from your slumber in Draco's arms when you felt him stop all of a sudden. His body went stiff and rigid; you knew then that something was wrong. Reluctantly you opened your eyes to see what had stopped your progress and in front of you stood one of your favorites, but at the same time one of the most feared magical creatures there was. It was a centaur that stood probably around seven feet high. It was a midnight black color with long black hair tied in a ponytail and fierce stone gray eyes. He was an extremely intimidating beast with bulging muscles and a spear in his right hand.

"What are you foals doing in the forest?" he snarled not looking pleased with your presence. Ron and Draco just stood there with their mouths hanging open dumbstruck.  
>"We are just trying to get home, we didn't mean to disturb you" you said with a definite note of pleading in your voice, "We were captured and tortured, but we managed to escape. We are just trying to get back to Hogwarts".<br>"You are Hogwarts students then? Followers of Dumbledore?" he growled, "We are not fond of Dumbledore in this forest" he declared.  
>"I am sorry, but we just want to get home. We are not followers of Dumbledore; we- we are just students" you explained keeping your voice as calm as you possibly could.<br>He nodded slowly, "There are more of you in my forest" he stated, "They are looking for you. Keep going straight and you will bump into them very soon. Find them and get them out of our forest or there will be consequences, consider this a warning" he hissed glaring at you to show that he meant every single word that he said.  
>"Y-Yes, we will do that" you told him, "Thank you for your understanding..." you were barely able to mumble out before your head fell back down against Draco's chest too weak to hold itself up any longer.<p>

You gasped a little when you felt a warm hand press up against your cheek. You forced your eyes open to see the centaur's gray eyes bearing down into yours. He lifted his other hand and cupped your other cheek in it; you could feel Draco's body tense up in fear, he wasn't really enjoying the fact the scary centaur was touching you. The centaur whispered something under his breath and brought his hands down to rest them upon the spot on your chest where your heart was located. "She is dying" he stated knowingly, "There is dark magic working its way through her that has yet to reach her heart, but it won't be much longer now. Find your friends quickly or you will lose her" he told Ron and Draco firmly before looking back down at you. "You have a pure heart young foal" he said to you; placing his hand upon your chest once more he whispered something under his breath before galloping off into the distance. At his words you felt a little of your strength return to you, but you still felt the darkness begin to close in around you... _time was running out_.


	57. Chapter 57

Draco looked down at Anna's frail, limp body in his arms. She was no longer peering around the forest to see where they were going; she had rested her head on his chest and had finally given in to her fatigue. He knew what the centaur had said was right; that Anna really was slowly dying. A single tear fell from his ice blue eyes and down his cheek at the very thought of loosing the only person he had ever really loved. Anna was the only one who had ever taken the chance to get to know the real him without knowing the prophecy first, she was the person who looked past his reputation and into his heart. He could still see her standing under the stars those nights they would meet in the tower; her dirty blonde hair blowing gently in front her amazing honey brown eyes that always seemed to be sparkling with just the thought of being alive. Since his first year he had found himself captivated with the pretty Ravenclaw; he would stare and watch her as she walked to class or to the Great Hall. She moved differently than other girls. She laughed differently, she smiled differently, she talked differently... she was so different than anyone else he had ever met before, but in the end that was why he loved her so much. He would not lose her now, he could not lose her now...

"Did you hear that?" Ron hissed to Draco as the faint whisper of voices met their ears from the distance.  
>"Yeah, maybe it is the people the centaur was talking about" Draco said hopefully breaking into a faster stride.<br>"But what if they are more Death Eaters or even worse... more centaurs?" Ron said apprehensively.  
>"It is just a risk we are going to have to take; if we don't get her help soon and I mean <em>soon<em>, she is going to die and I am not about to let that happen". Ron nodded at Draco's words and the two of them set off into a sprint, but even the quick change of pace couldn't stir Anna from her slumber in Draco's arms at this point.

They dashed in and out of a maze of trees drawing closer to the voices with every second until finally... "OUCH!" Ron and Hermione both exclaimed when Ron ran head first into her. "RONALD!" Hermione squealed seeing it was him on the ground, "Oh Merlin, you are alive!" she exclaimed literally jumping on top of him in a hug. He blushed so red that you could even notice it in the darkness of the forest. Seamus smiled briefly at him before steering Hermione back to his side.  
>"Where are Anna and Draco?" Harry asked Ron when Hermione finally released him.<br>"We- we- are- right- here-" Draco managed to gasp out. He was beyond tired now after sprinting with an extra one hundred pounds in his arms.  
>"Oh! You are alive-" Luna began to exclaim until she saw Anna more closely, "Is- is she okay? Or is she-" she started, but she could not finish her sentence for fear of what the answer would be.<p>

"She is still alive, but barely" Draco answered looking nervously down at his unconscious girlfriend, "She won't last much longer now; we _need_ to get back to Hogwarts" he finished with a strong note of urgency in his voice.  
>"No- no this cannot be happening, what happened to her?" Luna gasped running over to Draco's side to get a better look at Anna; there were tears in her eyes.<br>"We don't have time!" Draco exclaimed in exasperation, "Look I hate to admit this, but I don't have the energy to carry her anymore" he confessed and for the first time they noticed he was swaying back and forth with fatigue. It was a lot for Draco to admit he wasn't strong enough to handle something on his own and to admit he needed help; but he had to do it for Anna. "Can someone else please take her? We need to get her back as quickly as possible" he said pleadingly.  
>"I will take her" Blaise immediately offered and he was the most sensible choice seeing he was the strongest physically of the boys, other than maybe Seamus. He swept Anna's body into his arms with ease and out of Draco's who breathed with relief as the extra weight was removed.<br>"Now let's get a move on!" Harry ordered before starting the journey back to Hogwarts. They traveled at a quick sprint to fast jog through the forest as Ron and Draco insisted they should. Only they really knew and could comprehend the danger Anna was in.

Suddenly a shrill, female scream erupted from the back of the group. "PARVATI!" another girl's voice screeched, "PUT HER DOWN!" There was a display of red and blue sparks that looked like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Blaise stopped dead in his tracks and spun instantly around on his heel; Parvati was in danger...  
>"Take her" Blaise demanded transferring Anna into Seamus' arms, "Harm a hair on her head Finnegan and you will not know what hit you" he hissed for some reason that he wasn't sure of; it just felt like the right thing to say.<br>"You all keep going" Harry ordered pointing at Seamus, Hermione, Zacharias, and Luna.  
>"No! I am going with you!" Luna said firmly.<br>"No you are not" Harry said through clenched teeth, "I need you to make sure these three get back alright" he said referring to Anna, Draco, and Ron. "Get them back to the castle and straight to the Hospital Wing, if we are not back go to Dumbledore right away and let him no where we are" Harry commanded stepping into the leader position he had been unofficially been elected as.

With those final words from Harry, he and Blaise took off in the direction of the rest of the DA members who had fallen behind. Zacharias, Seamus who was holding Anna, Luna, Hermione, Ron, and Draco all took off in the other direction as fast as they could possibly go; having no idea what terrible things were going on behind them. As they ran on Seamus began to fall back slightly, which they all just figured was because he was holding Anna's extra weight in his arms. Then suddenly there was a loud crash and they all spun around to see Seamus had toppled to the ground and Anna had gone flying out of his arms. She rolled down on to the ground and hit her head with a sickening _crack_ on a thick tree trunk.

"WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE DOING FINNEGAN?" Draco roared furiously running over to Anna's side. She let out a slow, painful moan before once more returning to her state of oblivion; "Stupid git" Draco mumbled under his breath, but everyone could hear exactly what he said... not that he cared.  
>Hermione walked over quickly to Seamus to make sure he was alright, but the fall didn't seem to have affected him all that much. "It is okay Seamus, we all make mistakes" she whispered gently to him, "He will calm down" she assured him nodding toward Draco and Seamus nodded his head.<p>

"Look I will take her Draco, we really got to get going again" Zacharias offered kneeling down beside him. Draco glared at him; the two had never gotten along at all, because Zacharias had a grudge against the Slytherins and still had trouble accepting Draco and Blaise. "Look I care about Anna too, let me just help her" he pleaded.  
>"Fine, but if you drop her like Finnegan just did I will-" Draco began.<br>"Skin me alive?" Zacharias chuckled back; "I won't drop her mate" he promised picking her up. Draco looked at him slightly confused; did Zacharias just call him _mate_? He shook his head a little before continuing on at his run, as did the rest of them. All of them except Luna though, she seemed to be in some sort of daze.

She just stared at the spot where Seamus had fallen with a troubled expression on her face. There were no fallen branches, protruding roots, or unluckily placed rocks on the ground where he had fallen. Right before the moment Seamus had gone down Luna had turned her head to see how he was doing since he had been falling behind, but what she saw disturbed her. He had been running, but at a slower pace than the others... normal right? What wasn't normal however was the way he had fallen. He didn't look scared or surprised when he fell; he actually looked _prepared_ for the fall. And wouldn't you think if you were carrying your dying and fragile friend that you would try a little harder to keep your arms around her? Was it just a coincidence that Anna went flying out of his arms so easily or how his hands had gotten out in time to stop him from hurting himself in the slightest? Something was very suspicious here...

She shook her head and finally looked away from the spot on the ground. Now back in reality she realized how dangerous it was that she was all alone in the Forbidden Forest at night. She turned quickly and shot off after the others, she was thankfully a good sprinter and caught up with them without much trouble. She spent the rest of the journey shooting Seamus secretive glances from the corner of her eye.

They arrived back to the Hogwarts castle just as the sun began to peek out behind the horizon. Zacharias who still had a tight grip on Anna ran down the hall toward the Hospital Wing with all the strength that he still possessed, though after a night of sprinting his energy was at an all time low. This made it so his run was actually a lot more like a slow jog. "M-Madame-" he tried to say Madame Pomfrey when he walked through the open door, but he could not even get out the rest of her name. "Help..." he whispered before collapsing to his knees, but still keeping his grip on Anna's body. Unfortunately the stout, kind-hearted woman could not hear Zacharias from her small office in which she was still fast asleep. A few minutes later Ron, Draco, and Luna all showed up from behind Zacharias looking extremely out of breath themselves. Hermione and Seamus had already gone to inform Dumbledore about what happened.

"Madame Pomfrey! Madame Pomfrey!" Luna exclaimed hopping around the collapsed Zacharias in the doorway. She bounded to her office and knocked frantically on her door.  
>"What is it Miss Lovegood- Oh my! Anna... Ronald? What happened? You all look like ghosts!" she shouted rushing over to them. She levitated Anna into the air and rested her gently down on to one of the hospital beds. "Everyone take a bed and explain to me right now what happened!" she ordered.<br>"There is no time for that now Poppy" Dumbledore said calmly from the doorway. He swept in with the tail of his baby blue robes flowing behind him. He stepped to the side of Anna's bed and lifted up her shirt to reveal her stomach, which had now turned a deep shade of purple. Her entire abdomen was that color except for the long slash that now was coal black. Everyone gasped in unison except for Dumbledore who remained as calm as he always did in these types of situations. "It is the Dark Blade Curse Poppy, it is far worse than Miss Granger's was though; it has been given time to fester. It is imperative that you treat her now" he told her firmly.  
>"Yes, yes of course!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed bustling quickly into her office for the supplies that she would need to treat the Curse.<br>"As for you all, I know you all must be in terrible pain, but you are unfortunately going to have to take a back seat to Miss Darcy until some other Healers arrive from St. Mungo's" they all nodded, not minding in the least, "And I have alerted the Order of your friends, they are out there now looking for them and should bring them back soon enough" he assured them, but there was something in his eyes that made them uneasy. Was that fear?


	58. Chapter 58

You slowly blinked your tired eyes open and propped yourself up on your elbows trying to ignore the lightheaded feeling sitting up gave you. Your eyes traveled around the room taking in your new surrounding. There were the four clean white walls and rows of beds that had become all too familiar to you during your days as a Hogwarts student. However the beds were not empty as they more commonly were, actually the room seemed to be filled almost to capacity. On the bed to your right Blaise was sleeping soundly with a rather deep gash across his cheek and Draco was on your other side looking pale, but all in all pretty well. The rest of the DA occupied the other beds; some had bruises or cuts, but most of them just looked exhausted or pale. You were trying desperately to remember how you ended up here, but all you could remember was Draco carrying you away from a lake and then everything just went black... The DA must have found you in the forest and helped you get back or something along those lines at least. In sudden recollection you lifted up the bottom of your shirt to observe your abdomen where the curse's scar had once laid. Now only a faint, scarcely visible white scar lay across it. You looked over your arms and legs pleased to see all your bruises had disappeared, '_Thank you Madame Pomfrey_' you thought smiling to yourself.

You heard a sound and realized that you were no longer alone in the room; you peeked around the corner to see Dumbledore had entered. He didn't look like his usual, cheerful self... he looked tired and stressed out. He could not have gotten more than a few hours sleep the night before. "Hello Miss Darcy, I must say I didn't expect you to be the first awake my dear" he greeted you with a smile.  
>"I am feeling a lot better" you replied returning his smile, "Can you- can you tell me what happened?"<br>"Mr. Malfoy told me that you passed out before you met up with this lot" he said motioning toward the rest of the DA members, "They found the three you and you began your journey back here, but some of them met up with a less than pleasant foe on the way back" Dumbledore started.  
>"One word... Aragog" Harry broke in poking his head out from under his sheets.<br>"Bloody hell, you all ran into Aragog? Is everyone okay?" you inquired worriedly; you had only met the spider once before, but it had not been a pleasant experience.  
>"Everyone is fine Miss Darcy, the Order members found them before any real harm could be done. The Patil sisters are a little shaken up, but other than that just a few bruises and cuts. You on the other hand came very close to death" he said subconsciously looking down at your stomach.<p>

"What- what is it?" you asked looking down to the exact same spot.  
>"It is called the Dark Blade Curse" he answered, "It is an extremely powerful spell that only those of the Dark Side can truly use properly. It is almost like a sword cuts through you and emits a poison into your system. If this poison reaches your heart it will suck you into endless darkness, much like the Dementor's kiss" he explained further.<br>"But our guard was suffering from the curse too, he had the same scar, but he had it for a lot longer than I did without passing out" you said.  
>"He was a Death Eater; he is already submersed in the darkness and therefore it would effect him more slowly, maybe not even at all" Dumbledore responded, "Anyways Miss Darcy you showed quite a resistance to the spell actually... Miss Granger was in a far worse condition than you were when she received it" he informed you and you just nodded not sure on how to respond.<p>

"Now I know you must be exhausted, but I need you tell me all of the details of what happened during your captivity" Dumbledore said looking you straight in the eyes; you could not help but find him somewhat intimidating.  
>"Ron and I were attacked by a band of Death Eaters who we managed to fight off just fine, but then Bellatrix showed up and we were captured. All I know is that it was right on the border of the Forbidden Forest. We were thrown into a prison cell and were joined by Draco too later on. They interrogated all three of us using the Cruciatus Curse, but they didn't get any information. They were going to resort to legilimency and then Veritaserum I believe, that is why we knew we had to get out of there, so we escaped" you told him.<br>"How on earth did you three manage to escape?" Luna inquired interestedly as she woke up for the greater part of your explanation.  
>"I erm- well see our guard was suffering from the Dark Blade curse I believe, because he had a scar much like mine across his front. He saw me healing Ron and Draco's bruises a couple nights before and asked me to do the same, but I refused. So that day I offered to do it again, he took his shirt off so I could do it. And his shirt just happened to hold his wand in it, Draco grabbed it and then we ran like hell... We had to fight off Freddie too, which is where I received the curse. We got into the forest and just made a mad dash toward Hogwarts, we ran into a centaur but he let us go. He said our friends were looking for us how did you know we were out there by the way?" you said curiously, directing the question toward Luna and Harry. It just struck you how lucky it was they had been in the forest, but how did they know where to find you like that?<p>

"I had a dream" Harry sighed running his fingers through his messy mop of raven hair, "Well two actually... the first one was when you were getting tortured. I could feel every curse that Bellatrix put on you; I could hear every word that you heard. It was strange; almost like I was you. The second one was when you were already in the forest" he explained. You looked at him with a puzzled expression on your face; how had he seen the same things you had? You remembered him having those types of dreams a few times before, but that was only with Voldemort... why now you as well?  
>"I believe I have some explaining to do" Dumbledore sighed after Harry's spiel, "I expected that you two would begin to have these sorts of dreams. Anna you remember Harry had those dreams when he was in Voldemort's body?" he asked you and you nodded slowly not sure where this going, "Well that is, because the two are linked by that scar on his forehead, but also because of the prophecy that they are linked together in. When two people are in a prophecy together, some sort of bond is formed between these people. I am just curious, but did you have any weak spells when you were away from Draco?" he asked and you nodded once more, "Well that is the bond that you two share, your strength and happiness both depend on the other. But you must remember that you and Harry are linked by the two prophecies as well, which caused him to be you in his dreams while you were in mortal danger. Does this make any sense?"<p>

Harry and you just sat there staring at the wall blankly trying to let Dumbledore's words really sink in. "Then I am linked to Draco too?" Harry asked.  
>"Only through Anna" Dumbledore answered, "Just like Anna is only linked to Voldemort through you; at least I think this is the case anyways. However all three of you will be starting up Occlumency once more as a precaution" at these words you had to suppress a groan. You hadn't even spoken to Professor Snape since the night he caught you and Harry looking into his Pensieve. Judging by the malicious glares he now shot at you and Harry during class you figured he was still upset about the invasion of his privacy.<p>

"Erm- Professor, I don't think Snape _wants_ us to come back" Harry mumbled awkwardly.  
>"Don't worry about that Mr. Potter, he will be happy to have you both back" Dumbledore replied and you rolled your eyes at Harry who nodded. You both knew very well that Snape would <em>not<em> be happy about you two being back.

"Alright, well if you two are feeling up to it would you kindly come with me to my office. There are some things that we must discuss in private" Dumbledore said suddenly becoming very solemn for some reason.  
>"Sure" Harry responded standing up from his bed with no difficulty.<br>"Okay- I think I am alright too" you said swinging your legs over the side of the bed and stepping off. But as soon as your feet hit the ground you collapsed. "Erm- okay maybe not so okay" you said with a sheepish smile. Harry smiled and helped you up to your feet.  
>"You haven't been on those legs for awhile, I'd expect you to be a little wobbly" Dumbledore said, "Mr. Potter if you wouldn't mind helping her-"<br>"No problem" Harry assured him while wrapping his arm around your waist, so you could use him a sort of human crutch.

With the help of Harry you eventually made up to Dumbledore's office, a bit longer than it would normally take but you got there all the same. He had to carry you up the long, flight of stairs, but after being starved by Death Eaters you barely weighed anything at this point. Dumbledore took his seat at his regular chair behind his desk and Harry rested you down on one of the bright green, overstuffed armchairs before taking a seat himself. "So what did you want to talk about?" Harry asked and you looked intently at Dumbledore awaiting his answer.

"I know you two all are independent and that you are not children, but when I tell you to do something it is for your own safety. Now I specifically remember telling you Miss Darcy not to go wandering around after dark and well- you did anyways and look what happened. I also recall telling you both to inform me if anything unusual happened at all in your lives! Anna you should have informed me immediately when Mr. Malfoy started acting differently toward you and I would have been able to reveal him a Flint much sooner, Mr. Longbottom would not have almost died either. And you Mr. Potter should have told me as soon as you had that second dream as Anna instead of running of foolishly into the Forbidden Forest by yourself and bringing all of the others students with you! If you had just informed the Order we would have had them back here safe in no time and half the school would not be in the Hospital Wing right now. I am going to tell you two one last time do not go wandering around after dark without supervision and tell me immediately if absolutely anything of the ordinary occurs. Do you both understand?" he asked with a stern look on his usually kind and gentle face. You could see in his baby blue eyes that he was angry with the two of you and you couldn't help, but feel horribly guilty...


	59. Chapter 59

"Yes, s-sorry Professor" you both mumbled out your apologies bowing your heads in shame. The look on the old man's face pained your heart; you couldn't remember feeling this guilty for a long time. He had done so much for you over the past seven years of your life. All he was trying to do was keep you safe, but you had disobeyed him and ignored his instructions. Suddenly all the things you had done like sneaking out on to the grounds with Ron, into Hogsmeade, and off into the tower in the middle of the night that seemed perfectly fine at the time now seemed reckless and stupid. But that was who you were, wasn't it? The reckless, troublemaking Anna Darcy! But that would all have to change now. After being captured by the Death Eaters you finally came to the realization of how much danger you were really now in. It wasn't just Ruby Pickford levitating bowls of pudding over your head anymore; these people were out to _kill_ you and anyone who got in the way. You vowed from that moment on to behave yourself for once in your life and listen to what Dumbledore said.

"Alright, you two may go now. Please do try and stay out of trouble and I would suggest dropping by Professor Snape's office to see when he would like you to come for your Occlumency lessons, please inform Draco he is going to be joining you as well" Dumbledore sighed. "Sure Professor, thank you for your time" you said politely, "I am really sorry for not listening to you before... It was erm- wrong of me and I- I promise I will listen from now on" you finished meekly.  
>You looked up to see the twinkle had returned back to his blue eyes and there was a smile on his face. "I am sure you will, everyone has to grow up sometime" he said standing up from his desk, "But don't grow up too fast my dear" he added before doing something you did not expect. He pulled you into a tight, grandfatherly hug and patted you gently on the back. "I am just glad you both are still okay" he said to both you and Harry, "Now get going, it is a beautiful Saturday... you shouldn't be cooped up inside".<p>

"Well that was interesting" Harry muttered when the two of you walked back out into the hallway.  
>"He is right though Harry, we really do have to start being safer. If we die... all the good in the world dies with us. The entire wizarding world rests on our shoulders, Merlin I don't know how we even sleep at night" you let out a little laugh.<br>"Why does life have to be so damn complicated? Why couldn't I have just been normal...?" Harry sighed running his fingers through his hair.  
>"I wonder the same thing sometimes" you admitted patting him on the back.<br>"The worst thing is I worry about what might happen if I do die in the end. What will Luna do? The last thing I want is to hurt her" he said sadly.  
>"I won't let you die Harry" you promised him even though you weren't sure if you would be able to fulfill that promise when the time came for you to make your decision. So many things could go wrong and judging by your luck things more than likely <em>would<em> go wrong...

You and Harry walked back to the Hospital Wing to see that everyone was still currently sounded asleep, except one person. Luna bounded off her bed as soon as she saw the two of you walk into the room. "You two had me so worried!" she exclaimed quietly, so she wouldn't wake the others up. She threw her arms around you in excitement before she latched on to Harry and kissed him hard on the lips. Then just as suddenly as it had appeared the smile on her face wiped away, she grabbed your wrist and pulled you swiftly out into the hallway closing the door behind of her.

"Is something wrong Luna?" Harry asked sounding very concerned at the nervous expression on her face.  
>"There is something I need to talk to you two about" she began wringing her hands together, "See last night when we were running back to Hogwarts and Seamus was holding Anna, something strange happened".<br>"What do you mean?" you inquired.  
>"You know that bruise on your head" she said pointing to a rather large welt on the left side of your forehead; you nodded. "You got that from flying right into a tree trunk" she said and you raised an eyebrow at her confused. "I looked behind me while we were running to check up on Seamus, because he had fallen behind. There were no branches or rocks around him, but he still sort of fell right there in the middle of the patch. He didn't get hurt at all, but he sent Anna flying right into the bloody tree trunk... I don't know it just did not seem like an accident from where I was standing" she finished and both you and Harry stared at her with your eyes wide.<p>

"You don't think- you don't think he meant to drop me, do you?" you asked in disbelief. Although you had never been really close with Seamus, you still considered him one of your friends plus he was a member of the DA. If he was on your side why would he try to hurt you like that? Also he was Hermione's new boyfriend and Hermione was one of your best friends, Luna's reasoning just did not make sense.  
>"I am just saying from where I was standing, it looked like it was on purpose" she responded.<br>"That doesn't make sense though, why would he try to hurt her? He is part of the DA" Harry broke in.  
>"So... Peter Pettigrew was part of the Order wasn't he?" Luna shot back, but immediately regretted her words. A pained look immediately appeared on Harry's face at the mention of the man that was responsible for both his parent's untimely deaths. "I am so sorry Harry, I shouldn't have said that..." she mumbled looking at him apologetically.<br>"No, no it is okay. You are right, but for now all we can do is keep our eyes open for anything suspicious. If he betrays our names to anyone, we will know" Harry said referring to the charm Hermione had placed on the parchment where all your names were written down.  
>"Harry is right, he hasn't betrayed us yet. It was probably just an accident; I don't think we should go accusing him of anything. He is our friend and I still trust him" you proclaimed brushing Luna's ludicrous idea to the side.<p>

You all abruptly spun around instantly forgetting your conversation when you heard someone call out '_Anna_' from inside of the Hospital Wing. Poking your head through the door you saw Draco sitting up on his bed looking anxiously around the room, "Draco I am over here" you whispered. He turned his head and his brilliant blue eyes met yours; a huge smile appeared on his face. He stood up from his bed and pulled you up warmly into his arms before planting a passionate kiss upon your lips.  
>"I was worried about you" he whispered into your ear; the feeling of his warm breath on your neck made you shiver.<br>"It takes more than a stupid curse to get rid of Anna Darcy" you replied with a wink. "Anyways I have got some bad news for you my dear" you sighed.  
>"Nothing could bring me down today and I mean nothing. As long as you are safe I am fine, love. So hit me with your best shot" he responded with a chuckle.<br>"You need to take Occlumency lessons from Snape with me and Harry from now on" you answered and his expression immediately dropped making you giggle.  
>"Oh bugger..." he pouted.<br>"I told you, you wouldn't like it" you said with a smirk.

"Hey guys, Draco and I are going to take off for a little while okay?" you said to Luna and Harry while taking Draco's hand into your own.  
>"Alright, you two have fun now! And remember make good choices" Luna laughed winking at you.<br>"I'm not promising anything" Draco purred in your ear making you stomach do a flip.

"So where do you want to go, my love?" Draco asked as you both walked down the hallway hand in hand.  
>"I don't know... how about the Astronomy Tower?" you suggested with a smile.<br>"One of my favorite places in this school" he responded, "Sounds good to me".  
>You headed down the next hallway and up the winding stars to the very top of the Astronomy Tower. As beautiful as it was at night under the stars, it was just as beautiful in the early hours of the morning when the sun is just coming up over the horizon. From the edge of the wall you could look over the entire outside, picturesque grounds of Hogwarts. The lake was shimmering silver, the flowers created a vibrant canvas of colors, and from that particular spot even the Forbidden Forest looked beautiful.<p>

Draco wrapped his arms tightly around your waist behind you and rested his chin on your shoulder. "Remember the first day we came up here?" he asked quietly.  
>"Like it was yesterday" you answered honestly, "I remember the first few words that you said to me... I'm not who everyone thinks I am Anna, I am not a Death Eater" you reminisced. You remembered how overjoyed you were to hear him say that at the time.<br>"You looked beautiful that night, you know" he mused, "I couldn't stop thinking about you that entire night" he chuckled, but there was sincerity in his voice.  
>"I couldn't stop thinking about you either" you laughed, "I didn't know what was wrong with me. Five years without even a crush and suddenly I found myself head over heels with the boy who was supposed to be my enemy" you sighed turning to face him. You ran your fingers through blonde hair and over his cheek, "I fell in love with you up here". "And I with you..." he replied kissing you softly on the lips, "I will always love you Anna and this- this will always be our tower", he promised.<br>"_Our_ tower" you repeated before pulling out your wand. You placed it against one of the stones that made up the wall and muttered a spell that made the end of it sharp. Using your now pointed wand you carved an inscription into the wall, so it truly would always be yours and Draco's tower.

_AD & DM  
>...Our Love, Our Tower...<em>


	60. Chapter 60

"There now it is official" you declared turning your wand back to its normal state and looking down at the inscription to admire your work.  
>"Generations of Hogwarts students to come will see it" he laughed, "Maybe we can even show our children it someday" he added casually and you gasped.<br>"Our children?" you said turning to look deeply into his eyes, "Did you just say _our_ children?" you asked again in complete disbelief that he had just said that.  
>"Well yeah- we are growing up Anna and I love you more than anything else in the world. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and you know- maybe someday have children and start a family" he said with a shrug.<br>"I don't think I have ever loved you more than I do right now" you admitted and he chuckled before kissing you on the forehead, "So have you been thinking of names?" you asked raising an eyebrow at him and he blushed a little pink in the cheeks.  
>"I was thinking if it was a girl... Katharine is a nice name" he admitted.<br>"I like that name" you said smiling from ear to ear.

"So Valentine's Day is coming up soon" Draco stated a little while later. He was sitting with his back leaning against the tower wall and you were sitting between his legs with your head resting against his chest.  
>"It sure is" you responded, "What do you want to do?" you inquired curiously, "We can't go to Hogsmeade like everyone else".<br>"Well then we are just going to have to be a little more creative" he said with a smirk, "Don't you worry, I have a little something planned".  
>"Oh do you now?" you said now intrigued.<br>"But I am not telling you, it is a surprise" he told you and you stuck out your bottom lip in a pout, but his resolute expression didn't budge.  
>"Oh fine, I will just have to wait in suspense for a few days" you mumbled.<p>

"Oh! Oh! I say we throw a party!" you blurted out suddenly getting an idea.  
>"A party?" Draco asked.<br>"A Valentine's Day party! Since everyone is going to Hogsmeade and leaving us for the day, we should throw a party that night when everyone gets back. We can have it in the Room of Requirement, there will be candy and firewhisky of course if I can nick some from Snape's personal stash... it always makes truth or dare more interesting" you said with a mischievous glint in your eye. You had promised Dumbledore you would behave and stay out of trouble, but you still were the same Anna. It would be impossible for you to completely forget all your old ways.  
>A huge grin broke out on Draco's face at your idea, "That sounds great Anna!" he exclaimed, "Especially the firewhisky part" he joked.<p>

"What is this about firewhisky?" a foreign voice inquired. Both your heads shot up to see Professor Hollows standing in the doorway with an eyebrow raised. The two of you began to stammer out words trying to tell her that you were just joking, but needless to say you didn't sound very convincing. "Look I am just going to pretend I didn't hear that" she laughed and winked to both of yours surprise.  
>"Uh- thanks Professor" was all that you could manage to reply back to her.<br>"Hey, I was young once to you know" she responded, "Anyways I came to talk to you about something Anna" she said sitting down across from on the opposite wall, "If you two don't mind me interrupting that is" she said with a smirk.  
>"Oh no, really it is fine Professor" you replied moving a little further away from Draco; realizing how close together you actually were. You were very curious as to what she had to say to you.<p>

She took a deep breath before beginning, "I went into the Hospital Wing a little while ago to check up on how everything was doing. I got into a little conversation with Mr. Weasley and he told me all about your duel with Frederick Martin" she explained, "Frederick was one of the best duelers I had ever seen; see I did some lessons on dueling with the seventh year students last year and he particularly excelled in it-"  
>"And she beat him!" Draco exclaimed looking down at you with pride.<br>"Yes, I heard from Ronald" she laughed, "Even after being hit with the Dark Blade curse you still managed to disarm him, brilliant work" she commended. You just smiled not sure what you say; she had never been this nice to you before; you always suspected her of not really liking you.  
>"Anyways I say all this, because I have been asked by Dumbledore to give the future Order members dueling lessons and I would like you to assist me" she said and your eyes widened slightly in surprise.<p>

"You- you really want me to assist you?" you asked, "I'm really not that good" you said modesty.  
>"What are you talking about Anna? You are brilliant!" Draco exclaimed.<br>"Yes according to the rumors you apparently _are_ quite talented Miss Darcy and I would greatly appreciate your help. What do you think?" she asked.  
>"I- I erm- okay sure" you finally answered not being able to suppress a smile.<br>"Great! I have already talked with Potter; I will be at your meeting tonight. Until then" she said bowing her head briefly to you before taking off down the spiral staircase.

"Well that was erm- interesting" you commented when she was out of her earshot.  
>"I think it is great; you were amazing back there against Freddie. I never did get to tell you that" Draco responded, "You will be a great assistant".<br>"Yeah, I guess. I'm not used to being the teacher though, that is always Harry's job. I just sit back while he sends stunning spells at me" you laughed rolling your eyes, "I don't know if I would be a good teacher".  
>"I am sure you would be, hell maybe you will even become a professor someday" he said.<br>"A professor would be fun I guess, but I would really love to be a Healer... of course that all depends if I live long enough to actually have a job" you mumbled looking despondently down to the stone ground.  
>"Hey- don't you go saying that" Draco cooed wrapping his arms tightly around you so you were pressed up against him, "I have told you before I am not letting you go anywhere, understand?" he said firmly, ruffling your hair a little. You nodded, but you were not completely comforted. The future was out of both yours and Draco's control; who knew what joys or tragedies it would bring to you.<p>

"Let's go get some lunch; I am bloody starving" you blurted suddenly; after your stomach made an exceptionally loud rumbling noise.  
>"Right behind you!" Draco said standing up and linking his arm with yours, "So should we announce the party at the meeting tonight?" he asked as the two of you made your way down the stairs.<br>"Yeah that would be the best idea, I am sure they will all be thrilled" you replied.  
>"Hell, who doesn't like a reason to get drunk?" Draco asked with a smirk and you rolled your eyes at him. The rest of the journey to the Great Hall you and Draco made plans for the party, but stopped when you entered. You didn't want anyone overhearing, since it would only be for the members of the DA.<p>

After only being in the Great Hall for about thirty seconds suddenly a whirlwind of people pounced on you and Draco; suffocating you both with hugs. "WELCOME BACK!" "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" "ARE YOU OKAY?" "WHERE DID THAT BRUISE COME FROM?" echoed through the hall as you desperately tried to break free from the mob and over to the Gryffindor table where a tray of cookies was calling your name. It took you a few minutes, but you managed to get into the seat beside Luna.  
>"Bloody hell! I didn't know people missed me that much" you laughed putting some cookies and a chicken sandwich on to your plate.<br>"Tell me about it, I had people I don't even know hugging me" Ron said; his face was extremely red and he was still panting slightly from being mobbed.  
>"Poor Draco is still stuck in there" Hermione laughed peering over your shoulder.<br>"Hah! Look at the girls hanging all over him; he has become quite the heartthrob recently you know. What are they calling him now 'Mione" Blaise asked  
>"The bad boy gone good" Hermione chuckled, "Ever since he's been with you the girls have been going crazy about him. After they figured out it was really Flint impersonating him and he had been trapped by Death Eaters it made him even more heroic! I'd watch it if I were you Anna" Hermione said teasingly pointing to the scene.<br>You looked over with an amused expression to see a group of fourth year Gryffindor girls swarming around him and casually placing their hands on his chest. He looked over to you with a pleading look in his eyes that made you giggle, "I suppose I should go save him" you said and everyone nodded.

"Hey there girls, looks like you are happy to see my Draco in good health, huh?" you said cheerily sneaking up behind the girls. They all immediately jumped away from him at the sight of you and began to fidget nervously with their hair.  
>"Oh yes, I was oh so worried about him" one girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes exclaimed; she was the only one who didn't look intimidated by you.<br>"Well cheer up darling; he is just fine thanks to his _loving girlfriend_. Now I would appreciate it if you little buggers would scurry off and bother someone else" you replied in the same sweet, cheerful voice and grin on your face.  
>"Shut up Darcy, it is not like you own him" the blonde girl snapped.<br>"Erm- actually mate, I am afraid she does" Draco chuckled putting his arm around your shoulder and leading you over the Gryffindor table leaving behind a group of very upset looking fourth years muttering things like... '_She is not that pretty! He could do better!_'


	61. Chapter 61

"So I _own_ you, huh?" you chuckled with a mischievous glint in your honey eyes. He just rolled his eyes at you as you both took a seat at the Gryffindor table.  
>"I see someone has become Mr. Popularity all of a sudden" Blaise teased.<br>"I know! I have lost my bloody image... I used to be the tough guy everyone steered clear of, now I have third year Hufflepuff girls giggling every time I walk by. It is your fault, Anna Darcy! You ruined me" he joked.  
>You snorted at his comment, "Hate to tell you, but you were never a tough guy mate" you chuckled, "At least <em>I<em> certainly was never scared of you. I always knew you were just a sweet little puppy inside" you stated pinching him on the cheek.  
>"I am no puppy!" he exclaimed indignantly.<br>"_Awww_... come here little puppy" you continued to tease him.  
>"Hush!" "No, you hush!" "No, you!" "You!" "The both of you just bloody shut up or I will be forced to hex you! You are too cute, it makes me want to throw up" Blaise broke in making everyone laugh.<p>

"Oh whatever" you mumbled, "Anyways what is everyone planning for Valentine's Day?" you asked your group of friends curiously.  
>"Hogsmeade" Luna replied, "I think I just might be able to get Harry into Madame Pudifoot's Teashop this year" Luna giggled looking over at Harry.<br>"If that is what you really want dear" he droned not looking to thrilled about having to go into the shop. He probably hadn't been in there since the Cho incident all the way back when he was just starting sixth year.

"Well I asked Parvati to come to Hogsmeade with me" Blaise said with a huge grin.  
>"And by that stupid smile on your face I take it that she said yes" Luna laughed cocking an eyebrow.<br>"Of course she said yes! Who could turn down this face?" Blaise replied in a joking manner.  
>"I can name one right off the bat mate" you mocked winking at him.<br>"Oh! That one hurt Darcy that one hurt" he exclaimed.

"Anyways" Harry broke in, "What are you up to Hermione?" he asked curiously.  
>She blushed a little pink at his question, "Seamus and I are going to have a picnic by the lake I believe and then we might go into Hogsmeade for awhile" she replied in a barely audible whisper as she fidgeted with her frizzy hair. You looked over to see Ron looking miserably down into his mashed potatoes when she said this; it was obvious for anyone to see that he still had feelings for her. Actually the reason why he had dumped her was essentially, because he loved her <em>too<em> much to ever let her down. Your eyes darted back to Hermione and for a split second you thought you saw a hint of despair in her caramel brown eyes, but it was quickly covered again.

That night you arrived earlier than usual to the Room of Requirement for what should prove to be a very interesting DA meeting. Needless to stay you had quite a bit to discuss considering the recent events, Professor Hollows would be introducing dueling for the first time, and also Colin Creevey was going to start taking pictures of the members together so he could put together a scrapbook for everyone. No one was there yet so you took a seat in one of the chairs and began writing your Potions essay that Professor Snape still insisted that you have done by Monday. You were nearly finished when you felt someone's hand rest on your shoulder.

"Oh hello there Harry" you greeted; you were caught a little off guard at first.  
>"Hey, you are here early" he stated plopping himself down into the seat beside of you.<br>"Yeah, I was right here so I figured I would just come inside and wait for everyone else to show up" you explained rolling up your piece of parchment happy for an excuse to procrastinate on the essay for another few hours.  
>"I am glad you are here. I talked to Snape he wants us on Tuesdays at seven and I wanted to talk to you about something" Harry said with uneasiness shining in his emerald-colored eyes. "I was thinking that maybe we shouldn't go telling everyone about the two of us being connected by the prophecy. Think about it that would be very useful information to Voldemort if it ever found itself in the wrong hands. I was just thinking about Peter Pettigrew and if there <em>is<em> a traitor among us, though I highly doubt it, I just think it better they didn't know about it".  
>You nodded slowly letting all of his words sink in, "Yeah I suppose you are right. We will just keep it our little secret for now" you said and just then the door swung open.<p>

Professor Hollows walked inside wearing her usual black and silver robes; her long raven hair was tied back in a tight bun and she had her wand ready at her side. "Good evening Potter, Darcy" she greeted curtly.  
>"Evening Professor" you both chorused unenthusiastically. No one was really too thrilled about a professor coming to the meetings, because it was really a kind of way for the young to show that they could do things on their own and that they were independent. But you were thankful for her help and you knew that in the long run it would pay off.<p>

"So when are the rest going to get here?" she asked sounding impatient.  
>"They should be here at nine o'clock, so about five more minutes" Harry answered looking down at the wristwatch Hermione had gotten him for Christmas.<br>She rolled her eyes and began to pace around the room observing all the various instruments and books inside. "This is quite a place you got here, wish I had discovered it while I was at Hogwarts" she commented. "I would have liked for a place to hide out from those damn girls" she mumbled through clenched teeth, so you could barely hear her.  
>"What was that Professor?" you asked not sure if you had heard her right.<br>"Let's just say people weren't too fond of Vampires back then; not like they are now either" she sighed and a pained expression appeared on her face. Suddenly you felt bad for her; you couldn't imagine how hard it must be to be looked down upon by other wizards.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you become a Vampire?" you asked tentatively.  
>She turned and looked you square in the eye with those blood red eyes of hers, but you did not even flinch. This made her smile ever so slightly, "My father fell in love with the princess of the Vampires, Oriana Muerta... she was beautiful. But of course as the future queen she was already promised to another man and certainly would not be allowed to marry a plain wizard; it was unheard of! One last night of passion and I was the result; her to-be-husband killed my father and the day I was born they forced her to abandon me on the side of the road where an old witch found me and dropped me off at an orphanage. My mother is probably still out there somewhere, I just wish I could meet her..." she trailed off.<br>"I wish I could have met my parents" Harry confessed once she finished her story.  
>"I wish I could have had real parents" you sighed identifying with the both of them. For a moment you all just sat there in silence all sharing the same understanding... you all knew the pain of being alone.<p>

"Hey everyone! Why the long faces?" Colin greeted in his customary cheerful voice as he walked through the door followed closely by his younger brother Dennis, Ginny, Hannah, Justin, and Ernie. He whipped his camera out from the inside of his jacket and smiled, "You two get together now" he ordered and both you and Harry gave him a strange look.  
>"Shouldn't we wait for Hermione and then we can get a picture of all the DA representatives?" Harry asked just as Hermione came tumbling in through the door.<br>"Sorry! I am here!" she panted leaning against the closest table while trying to smooth out her hair at the same time. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her frizzy mop was sticking up like she had just stuck a fork into a toaster. Seamus came waltzing in a few seconds later looking disheveled as well, but at the same time very pleased with himself.

"Looks like you two have been busy" Ron sneered stepping through the door as well followed closely by Blaise and Draco who were both glaring daggers at the sandy-haired boy.  
>"You could say that" Seamus smirked and you felt the biggest urge to smack it right off his face.<br>"Watch it Finnegan" Ron hissed threateningly getting just inches from his face.  
>"Boys, boys calm down. You have a professor in your presence" Professor Hollows warned breaking up what almost definitely would have turned into a fight. Hermione looked puzzled by Ron's behavior, but did as she always did and brushed it off like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened at all.<br>"Oh Anna, here I forgot to give you this when you got back" Hermione said walking over to you and placing something into your palm. You looked down to see the amazing, silver, ruby-eyed snake ring that Draco had given you at the beginning of the year. You had lost it the night you were captured by Death Eaters and have been wondering where it went; you placed it back on to your finger where it belonged and smiled.

The door opened again and the rest of the group filed in including Zacharias Smith. His long dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail like usual, but his dark brown eyes lacked the same life that was usually present within them. You stood up from your seat and walked over to him, "Look I really wanted to thank you for what you did back in the Forest. Harry and Draco told me everything and I- I really owe you" you said patting him awkwardly on the arm. The tall, Hufflepuff boy had never been the most friendly or affectionate person, so you weren't sure if it would be okay for you to give him a hug or not.  
>"You don't owe me anything Anna" he told you genuinely smiling for one of the first times. You smiled back and wrapped your arms tightly around his neck. At first his body stiffened up at your act of affection, but he soon loosened up and hugged you back. Slowly yet surely all of the DA members were becoming closer, almost like you were family. You all argued and disagreed, but in the end these were the people you could run to when something went wrong... Sometimes you wondered if this would just make the war all the more harder; it was inevitable that some of you would die in the process. You weren't sure if you could handle loosing any of them at this point.<p> 


	62. Chapter 62

After about twenty minutes of posing for pictures, Colin finally put his camera down and let the meeting begin. You stood up first and cleared your throat before beginning to speak. "Okay, I have a few announcements for you all tonight. Would you like to start with the good or the bad?" you asked.  
>"How about we start with the bad news" Dean suggested from the back of the group, "We need something to lift our spirits after; right" he chuckled.<br>"Alright the bad news it is then! As you all know I was in pretty crappy condition when I was in the Forbidden Forest and this was, because I had been hit by a dark curse" at this you lifted up your shirt to reveal the scar on your stomach; a few people gasped. "It is called the Dark Blade Curse and it is the Death Eaters' favorite new toy, because only they can truly use it. It is like being slashed with a poisoned sword, the darkness seeps through your veins and when it finally reaches your heart you are taken away by the darkness. It is very similar to what we all know as the Dementor's kiss" again everyone gasped. "I am actually able to heal this curse, but if I am not around you must drop everything and seek help immediately at St. Mungo's or Madame Pomfrey's or you will _not_ survive. Does everyone understand?" you asked sternly and all the shocked faces staring up at you slowly nodded.

"Time for the good news? Because we could really use some now" Hannah said.  
>You smiled weakly, "On to better news... Professor Hollows will be joining us once a week at our meetings to instruct us in the art of Dueling and I will be assisting her in the teaching" you said and everyone's faces seemed to brighten up a little. "And now for the best news" you said winking at Draco, who winked back. "Draco and I are going to be throwing a party here in the Room of Requirement on Valentine's Day after you all get back from Hogsmeade. Just a small get together" you lied glancing at Hollows.<br>She laughed, "Don't worry about it, I am just going to pretend I missed that particular announcement" she responded.  
>You smiled appreciatively at her before turning back to the group, "It will start at eight and it is just going to be the DA" you explained and everyone's faces really lit up this time.<br>"Thank Merlin; I was just saying I could use a good party! I bought the cutest new top and have yet to find an occasion to wear it!" Padma exclaimed and you rolled your eyes at her good-naturedly. The two of you weren't necessarily fond of each other, but you were definitely more civil to one another.

"Anything else?" Hollows inquired tapping her wand with the same impatience. You wondered if she actually had anything else better to do with her time.  
>"No, you can go right ahead and start Professor" Harry replied politely.<br>"Good, Darcy get up here" she ordered and you did as she said following her to the front of the room where a space had been cleared. "The art of Dueling is a very hard skill to learn, some are just naturally good at it like Darcy or Potter here seem to be, but many of you are going to have trouble with it at first. Dueling not only requires a vast knowledge of different defensive spells, jinxes, and hexes. It demands composure, determination, perseverance, and of course quick reflexes..." and with this last word she suddenly sent a pillow shooting toward Neville's head. He tried to jump of out of the way, but in his surprise he was hit smack dab in the face. "Yes, I see quick reflexes may be a problem" she laughed and Neville smiled sheepishly at her.

The next morning you woke up feeling particularly sore from the meeting the previous night. Hollows had decided to show the group an example of a real duel and of course you were the one who got to serve as her opponent. Although you were able to fight her off for a good majority of time, so long in fact you actually caught a nervous expression on her face; she eventually beat you by throwing you into one of the walls. "First I am Harry's guinea pig and now Hollows is kicking my ass you, it is like I have a big '_Hurt Me_' sign on my back" you mumbled to Padma while brushing your hair in the bathroom.  
>She laughed a little, "Yeah Hollows' last blow looked pretty damn painful. I don't really think it was necessary that she throw you into the wall like that" she commented.<br>"Hah! It wasn't, I just think she wanted to see me in severe pain... gets a kick out of it or something" you mumbled bitterly before heading out the door, "I'll catch you later Patil" you said over your shoulder.  
>"Unfortunately I will Darcy" she replied in a joking tone.<p>

"Good morning love" Draco greeted giving you a quick kiss on the cheek when you sat down at the table.  
>"Good morning" you yawned before shoving a spoonful of porridge into your mouth.<br>"Always the lady Anna" Hermione said sarcastically rolling her eyes at your less than polite table manners.  
>"You know it Herms" you replied your mouth still filled with food, which seemed to repulse her even more. "So what is that you all got there?" you inquired noticing that everyone had a yellow slip of parchment in his or her hands.<br>"Oh we have career advice meetings today with the four head of houses; here I have yours" Hermione said pulling out a large envelope that said Head Girl on the front from her pocket. After a few minutes of digging she handed you a small piece of yellowing parchment that read...

_Anna Louise Darcy  
>Seventh Year, Ravenclaw House<em>

_Your career advice meeting with Professor Flitwick, McGonagall, Snape, and Sprout will be held today February 10th at 10:30am. Please report to Professor McGonagall's office and please be punctual._

_Signed,  
>The Head of Houses<br>Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Chasidah Sprout, Dougan Flitwick_

"Ooh career advice! That should be a _blast_" you muttered, "Well at least it gets me out of Herbology" you said looking on the bright side.  
>"Have you guys thought about what you want to be after you are out of Hogwarts? Because honestly I have no bloody clue" Blaise said.<br>"I think I would like to become a Professor, preferably Arithmancy I think" Hermione responded.  
>"I have pretty much always wanted to be an Auror" Harry answered.<br>"Yeah same here, it is all that I have really ever considered" Ron joined in.  
>"Well even though I have another year to figure it out, I have always thought about writing for my father's magazine" Luna said, "Or maybe even for the Daily Prophet. They sure as hell could use some more interesting articles in that paper" she commented and everyone laughed.<br>"I want to be a curse-breaker for Gringotts" Draco told everyone and they all looked slightly surprised; except for you. He had told you a few times before what he hoped to do with his life after school.  
>"Well I guess I want to be a Healer" you said and nobody looked surprised in the least.<br>"You will be a Healer Anna... Healer Darcy! Not a bad ring to it" Ron laughed, "You have already got one of the Healing spells down pact and besides only people who are brilliant can succeed in that kind of job. You are perfect for it".  
>"Aw thank you Ron" you said blushing a little bit, because of his kind comment.<br>"Well I have got to shove off" Draco said suddenly, "My meeting is in ten minutes, I will see you later everyone!" he waved goodbye, kissing you lightly on the lips, just enough to send those wonderful shivers down your spine, before disappearing through the double doors.

A few hours went by and before you knew it the clock read 10:30. You found yourself bolting down the hall and stepping into the office just as the clock struck 10:31. "HAH! Only a minute late!" you declared proudly to the four professors sitting in front of you. Amused smirks appeared on McGonagall and Flitwick's faces, Snape and Sprout on the other hand did not look entertained in the least.

"Please take a seat Miss Darcy" McGonagall said motioning toward a wooden chair. Listening to her request you sat down and rested your hands on top of your lap.  
>"Okay, we have brought you here today to discuss your career after you leave Hogwarts. You of course know that N.E. are steadily approaching and you should know what type of grades you need to succeed in your occupation of choice. So, what have you been considering?" Flitwick asked.<br>"Well I was thinking of becoming a Healer" you replied feeling slightly nervous for some reason. A part of you was afraid that they would basically tell you that you weren't nearly good enough to ever become a Healer. You sat there in your seat holding your breath waiting for a response.

"I think that would be a wonderful career choice for you Miss Darcy" Professor Flitwick commented smiling widely at you; you had always been one of his favorite Ravenclaws even if you were always getting in trouble.  
>"Do you really think that she can handle the demands of being a Healer" Professor Sprout asked uncouthly; raising an eyebrow at you in dislike, "She can hardly get to a meeting on time".<br>"I think she very well can, she is top of her class" McGonagall said firmly and you gasped at her words. She chuckled a little, "Yes so far this year you are at the top of your class, tied with Miss Granger however. Seems you are only lacking in Herbology and Miss Granger only in Potions".  
>"It will take a lot of work Darcy... you are going to need to do very well on your N.E. to even be <em>considered<em> for studying such an occupation" Snape warned.  
>"I know sir, but I am willing to work hard" you told him determinedly.<br>"Very well then, good luck with that Miss Darcy however I doubt you will need any" McGonagall said with a smile shaking your hand. "And if you ever need any help or tutoring, I am always available" she assured you.  
>"Thank you professor, I will remember that" you replied as you shook hands with the other three teachers. With a parting smile to Flitwick you exited the room now set on becoming a making your dream come true.<p> 


	63. Chapter 63

"Wake up beautiful..." a deep voice whispered into your ear. You groaned and swatted the person away before pulling your covers over your head in refusal to wake up. "Oh come on, is that any way to treat your valentine?" the voice chuckled. You blinked your eyes open to see Draco's handsome face only mere inches from yours. His blue eyes were shining brilliantly in the ray of light cascading in through your open window and his gorgeous smile made you melt. With sudden desire you leaned up and pressed your lips firmly up against his pulling down on the bed with on top of you. You ran your fingers through his shaggy, blonde hair as he kissed you back with the same passion. You moaned a little as his hands traveled over your hips and under your shirt tracing your curves. After a few minutes you both released and looked into each other's eyes both trying to catch your breath. "Well good morning to you too love" he said breathlessly making you giggle.

"So what have you got planned for today valentine?" you asked standing up from the bed. You walked over to your trunk on which Draco's broom was resting, which was how he must have gotten into your room.  
>"Well what we were just doing is perfectly fine with me" he said with a devilish grin.<br>"Oh well aren't you just Mr. Romantic" you said sarcastically, rolling your eyes at him as you dug through your trunk looking for something decent to wear.  
>He laughed, "Alright well if you insist on romance rather than pure, lustful love making then I do have a little something planned" he said.<br>"Good" you responded finally deciding on a pair of khakis, a tight, long sleeve red shirt, and your favorite pair of sneakers. "Okay, just let me go get changed quickly" you said making your way over to the bathroom.  
>You heard Draco whimper from his seat on the bed, "Why do you have to go to the bathroom? It isn't like I haven't seen you naked darling" he smirked; you let out a short laugh before shutting the door.<p>

Emerging from the bathroom about fifteen minutes later you walked back into the dorm to see Draco pacing back and forth. "What time is it?" you asked.  
>"It is about 1:30" he answered, "I was getting a little worried when you still hadn't shown up, so I came up and got you myself" he chuckled.<br>"Oh wow... sorry about that. I was just so tired from yesterday" you explained. You had been forced to stay up half the night trying to finish a particularly difficult essay that Snape had assigned you for talking in class.  
>"Don't worry, I understand. Plus I needed some time to prepare for my little surprise" Draco said kissing you on the forehead. "So are you ready, I know you <em>must<em> be starving" he laughed.  
>"Famished" you replied, "Lead on my knight in shining armor" you said grasping his hand and allowing him to guide you out of the Ravenclaw Common Room.<p>

After a little while of walking he stopped in front of the door that led to the Astronomy Tower. "Wow... the tower hmm? Very original" you teased.  
>"Hey- a lot of good things have happened in this tower! Why fix something that isn't broken, right?" he responded pulling you up the steps.<br>"I suppose you are right" you said with a smile, but the smile on your face suddenly disappeared when you reached the top of the staircase. Your jaw completely dropped at the sight in front of you and you found yourself speechless.

The arches and walls of the tower were decorated with at least a hundred, stunning red roses. A small circular table was located in the center of round room covered with a lovely, scarlet tablecloth. On top of the table were two lit candles, dining wear, and vase containing yet another rose. "Do you like it?" he asked wrapping his arms around your waist behind you; he kissed your neck softly making you shiver.  
>"Oh Draco- it is absolutely amazing" you whispered unable to hold back the tears that were welling up in your eyes. Usually you weren't that emotional of a person, but the beauty of the room had an effect on you. Instead of just buying you something expensive he had taken the time to decorate the tower for you and set all this up; it made you feel special and loved.<br>"I'm glad you like it" he said spinning you around in his arms to face you. He plucked on of the roses from the wall and placed in your hair behind your ear. "Have I ever told you how amazingly beautiful you are?" he asked sweetly.  
>"Yes, but I never mind hearing it again" you chuckled kissing him gently on the lips.<p>

"Our table awaits us my lady" he said placing his hand on your lower back and leading you over. He pulled out one of the chairs for you and then took his own seat across from you. "Now for our lunch" he said snapping his fingers and just then your favorite house elf Dobby appeared suddenly carrying a tray in his little hands.  
>"Good afternoon Miss Anna and Miss Anna's friend" he greeted placing the tray down on another small stool. He lifted up a plate and placed it in front of you; you couldn't help, but laugh out loud when you saw a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and pretzels on the plate.<br>"Thank you Dobby" you said before he bowed and scurried away. "You know me too well darling" you told Draco right before taking a big bite out of your sandwich.  
>"Well what other food would I serve you?" he laughed taking a bite of his own.<p>

The two of you spent the next hour just eating, talking, and laughing. When you were with Draco the conversation just came so easily; there was never an awkward pause or a dull moment. There was a connection between you that couldn't be described by words.

"This was really nice Draco, thank you so much" you said reaching over the table and taking his hand in yours.  
>"You deserve every bit of it" he replied looking deeply into your eyes, "There is more though... I will be right back" he said with a smirk getting up from the table and disappearing through the doorway. You waited impatiently for his return wondering what else he could possibly have for you to make this day better than it already was.<p>

A few brief moments later he reappeared from the doorway with right hand of behind his back. "I saw this and thought of you" he said with a smile pulling out a medium-sized box and handing it to you.  
>"Oh Draco, you didn't have to buy me something" you said and he chuckled.<br>"I wanted to" he whispered brushing a loose strand of your hair behind your ear.  
>You smiled back at him and began to carefully tear open the wrapping paper to reveal a dark blue box, too big to be jewelry. You undid the flaps on the top and pulled out the item inside. "Oh my... this- this is- wow Draco" you said in awe as you stared down at the magnificent object in the palm of your hand. It looked like a small crystal ball, but inside was not the foggy substance usually seen in Divination. Inside was a beautiful night scene, there was a full moon and hundreds of tiny, glittering stars made up the extraordinary view.<p>

"This is fabulous Draco" you said honestly still admiring the piece of art.  
>"Well I know that stars always seemed to make you feel better... so I thought you might like this-" he began to explain, but you cut him short by placing a sweet, passionate kiss upon his soft lips. "I love you Anna" he whispered after you released. Your noses were touching and he was cupping your cheek in his hands; your heart fluttered at his words.<br>"I think this is probably the best Valentine's Day I have ever had" you laughed.  
>"Well it is only going to get better!" he exclaimed pulling you up from the chair, "Come on, we have got a kick ass party to set up" he said with a smirk.<p>

"No a little more to the left... no your other left! Erm- never mind I lied, I like it better on the other wall" you stood on the ground, while Draco was perched up on a chair attempting to put up a hug 'Happy Valentine's Day' banner.  
>He let out an exasperated sigh and glared at you, "Now you listen up woman... it goes here or you are putting up yourself" he told you seriously.<br>"Did you just call me _woman_?" you responded raising an eyebrow at him and crossing your arms in front of your chest as a sign of disapproval.  
>He let out a sigh and stepped down from the chair, "Where did you say you wanted it darling?" he asked sweetly.<br>"Now that's the spirit!" you exclaimed taking his hand and pulling him over to the opposite wall.

An hour or so later you and Draco collapsed down onto one of the empty chairs and admired your work. Even though the Room of Requirement had automatically supplied you with all the materials that were needed, the two of you had taken the liberty of setting it all up yourself. One long table covered with a red tablecloth lined the back wall; on top of it were all the different yummy foods that you could imagine. There was a huge heart-shaped cake, chocolate frogs, Bernie Bott's every flavor beans, pumpkin pastries, butterbeer, and of course... a few bottles of firewhisky that you had managed to convince Dobby to get for you. The lights were dimmed and the Weird Sisters were playing from an invisible source. Banners decorated the walls and roses could be found in every direction you looked.

"It is pretty impressive if I do say so myself" you declared contentedly.  
>"Impressive indeed, I say we did pretty well for ourselves Miss Darcy" he responded.<br>"Couldn't agree with you more my dear Mr. Malfoy" you chuckled kissing him on the cheek; "So what time is it now?" you asked and suddenly a watch appeared on your wrist, "Merlin I love this room" you laughed.  
>Draco laughed too, "So what time is it?"<br>"Seven fifty-five" you replied just as the door of the room swung open.

"Holy hell! You two outdid yourselves!" Luna exclaimed excitedly as she stepped inside.  
>"Oh my, this absolutely brilliant!" Hermione added with a look of awe on her face. Here caramel brown eyes were wide as she scanned over the room.<br>"Thanks guys, we set it all up by ourselves! The muggle way mind you" you said.  
>"The muggle way? No bloody way, you are a lazy bum Darcy" Harry chuckled in disbelief.<br>You narrowed your eyes at him in indignation and were just about to reply when Draco beat you to the punch. "Hah! She didn't do anything, she just ordered me around for the last hour" Draco proclaimed rolling his eyes at you.  
>"Hey! I believe I was the one who convinced Dobby to get the firewhisky when the Room of Requirement wouldn't give us any, thank you very much!" you replied slapping him on the arm.<br>"You have got firewhisky?" Zacharias exclaimed just walking through the door.  
>The rest of you laughed, "This is going to be one hell of a party..." you sighed.<p>

The party started out with you all just talking and dancing, having a blast for yourselves. But soon the bottle of firewhisky were opened and after nearly only twenty minutes later about three members of the party were still actually left sober; Dennis Creevey, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom who were watching on amusedly as their friends made complete asses out of themselves. Hermione was convinced that Luna's hair was made of gold, Blaise had repeatedly tried to kiss Harry, and Hannah had just declared the food table her own country and promised to beat off any possible invaders with one of the chocolate frogs. You were all circled up in the center of the room, which was now completely trashed, playing truth of dare or a version of it anyways...

"Yo! Hermie... truth or- or-" Harry paused as he searched for the word that seemed to have escaped his mind, "DARE!" he proclaimed.  
>Hermione than proceeded to break out into a fit of giggles, "T-Truth! Hit me with ya best shot biatch!"<br>"I gotted one fo' her Potty" you slurred trying to keep yourself from falling over by leaning against Parvati. "So Hermy-ninny... have you done _it_ with Seamus?" you asked. On a normal day you would have never have asked this with Ron's feelings in consideration, but you were so incredibly drunk that it had completely slipped your mind.  
>"I don't get it..." Hermione said twirling a piece of her hair in her finger and looking at you with a stupefied expression, "<em>OOOH<em>! You mean it? The BIG it!" she giggled before winking at you not very inconspicuously. She nodded and burst out into yet another fit of high-pitched giggles, Ron's eyes widened in disbelief, but Seamus on the other hand was smiling from ear to ear.

"Hey Darcy, I have got a truth question for you" Seamus said suddenly.  
>"Oh goody! Ask me! Ask me!" you exclaimed in an unusually girly voice.<br>"Alright... what is your worst fear, your Achilles' heel?" he questioned.  
>"<em>Awww<em>- well that is-" you hiccupped, "No fun! And for ya information Finny-gan, I ain't afraid of" you hiccupped again, "Anything!" you finished throwing your fist in the air in triumph, but accidentally smacking Parvati in the head instead.  
>"OUCHIES!" she mumbled making the move to smack you upside the head in retaliation, but she missed by a few feet and fell over to the ground.<p>

"Oh come on Darcy, everyone is afraid of _something_" Seamus pushed further.  
>"Not Anna!" Neville exclaimed.<br>"Yeah I am with Neville on this one" Dennis, the other sober one, agreed. "She has gone up against a band of Death Eaters, Bellatrix Lestrange, Snape, Pansy Parkinson; Marcus Flint... the girl is bloody fearless!" Dennis laughed.  
>Seamus looked displeased with their replies and fixed his eyes pointedly on you again, "Come on Anna, just answer the question truthfully... it is truth or dare you know!"<br>"Aiight..." you garbled, "I am the most scared of losing my Drakie here" you admitted pinching Draco's cheek, "I love my Drakie!" you giggled.  
>"And I love me Annie!" Draco hiccupped.<p>

_It was completely dark around you, so dark in fact that you could barely make out where you were. Squinting through the darkness you saw to your surprise that you were just outside the double doors of the Great Hall. You took a few steps forward and pushed open the doors and walked inside. Above you the enchanted ceiling showed a scary, stormy scene. Black storm clouds loomed overhead and rain exuded from them like sheets as the thunder boomed. It was dark in the hall, so you weren't sure if there was anyone else there, but your wonderings were answered when a flash of lightning illuminated the entire room..._

_In the split second you saw a man in front of you that made your heart stop and your blood run cold. He had wraithlike white skin, petrifying blood red eyes, a balding head, and long black robes. But the worst thing of all had to have been his smiles. His teeth were a putrid yellow color and his eyeteeth were like the fangs of a snake. Every part of your mind was telling you to run for your life, but your body wasn't listening. You were frozen in place shaking from head to toe..._

_"What is your worst fear Anna?" his voice hissed from the shadows.  
>"I am not afraid of you" you croaked reaching for your wand, but finding it was gone.<br>"Yes, that much I know" he replied bitterly and with a flick of his wand a dim light filled the hall. He took a long, swift step so he was only mere inches from you. He rested his hand on your cheek with that sickly smile still on his face and you shivered at his icy touch. "But that was not the question my dear, what is your worst fear?"  
>"I don't fear anything!" you spat swatting his hand away from you.<br>He looked surprised at your retaliation, "You are a daring one little Anna Bella, but no one is without fear my dear" he laughed. It was a sadistic, maniacal laugh that made you catch your breath. The sound of that laugh echoed through your mind as the scene slowly began to fade..._

Your eyes slowly blinked open and you surveyed your surroundings trying to ignore your pounding headache and the pounding of your heart from your nightmare. Each member of the DA was passed out either on the floor or on top of one of the tables. You had to admit that it was an extremely amusing sight; Harry had fallen asleep sprawled out across the food table, Blaise was curled up with Hannah Abbot, and Luna was sleeping soundly on top of Zacharias.

You somehow managed to get yourself on to your feet and stumble over to the table. A bottle of a bright blue liquid suddenly showed up in front of you and you were so thankful that you had chosen the Room of Requirement for the party realizing that it was a hangover potion. After you gulped it down you felt like your old self almost instantly.

You looked around the room again and smiled at your friends, "Hell we must have had fun last night" you laughed out loud shaking your head.  
>"Yeah, you guys all got pissing drunk" a foreign voice laughed and you spun around swiftly to see Neville in the process of walking through the door.<br>"Merlin! You scared me Longbottom!" you exclaimed taking a deep, relieved breath. Neville smiled, but it was only a small one. Actually you just finally noticed how scared that he actually looked; his face was pale white rather than its usual rosy red and perspiration was dripping down his forehead. "Is something wrong Neville?" you asked concerned.  
>"Yeah, I thought that I should get you... I was just outside and there is a Death Eater looking for you" he answered.<p> 


	64. Chapter 64

"There's- there's a what?" you blurted out. Did he just say there was a Death Eater looking for you?  
>"I was walking outside with Dennis when I saw Snape had this guy with the Dark Mark on his arm up against a tree. A huge crowd had formed. Dennis went off to get Dumbledore right away and I hung back, the Death Eater started calling out your name. He said that he knew you Anna," Neville explained, his voice was a little shaky.<br>"Bring me there," you ordered quickly, grabbing a hair elastic off one of the tables and hurriedly pulling your hair back in a messy bun as you rushed out behind Neville toward the Hogwarts Grounds.

When you got outside you spotted a huge crowd surrounding the Great Oak tree. With your legs carrying you as fast as they could in their fatigue from last night you pushed your way through the thick crowd of chattering students. "Please sir- please sir don't do it! Just find Anna Darcy, she will tell you! I am not here to hurt anyone, I swear! Find Anna!" a voice pleaded, but you could not see its source just yet. But it sounded vaguely familiar to you; you could recognize it from somewhere, but where exactly? That was the question...

When you reached the edge of the crowd you saw an unexpected sight. Snape was standing there with his wand held out; his eyes were narrowed and there was a sneer on his lips. Cowering under him up against the Great Tree was your old guard, Race Raven. His robes were ripped to shreds, so much that the horrible tattoo on his forearm was clearly visible. Various cuts and bruises marred his pale face, his black hair tipped with a violent shade of blue was pointing out in a million different directions, and there was trepidation along with sheer terror shining clearly in his dark, midnight blue eyes.

"No Death Eater comes to Hogwarts and gets away with it! You are going to pay," Snape hissed.  
>Your eyes darted around for any sign of Dumbledore, but there was none. At this rate Raven would be dead before he even arrived to try and stop it. Although he had been a Death Eater and the person trying to keep you from your freedom, you felt like you had made a connection with the eighteen-year-old boy in front of you. He certainly was not your average, heartless Death Eater. There was something different about him; he actually had a heart. You remembered Draco had turned away from the path his family had chosen for him, why shouldn't Raven get the same chance as him? With a sudden, quick decision you sprinted out onto the scene and jumped in front of Raven just as Snape raised his wand to strike. "If you want to hurt him you are going to have to hurt me too," you said defiantly.<p>

The crowd looked completely and utterly shocked by your action and a whole new buzz of whispers broke out amongst the throng. "Get out of the damn way Darcy!" Snape growled, "Do you realize who you are protecting? He is a bloody Death Eater!"  
>Your eyes darted around for Dumbledore again and you sighed with relief when you saw him swiftly approaching the group. To your surprise Dumbledore was not alone either. Dennis of course was with him, but so was your dear friend Bill Weasley. His fiery red hair was still tossed back in a ponytail, but you could sense alarm in his sparkling blue eyes even from a distance.<br>Also you noticed the new presence of Draco, Harry, and the other DA members, who Neville had obviously woken up and introduced to the hangover potion. They were all watching on with confused expressions from your behavior, except for Ron and Draco who understood everything.

"What is going on here?" Dumbledore asked in a calm, even voice breaking through the mob of people.  
>"This Death Eater wandered on to the grounds! I was just going to punish him when this <em>piece of rubbish<em> jumped in front of him," he spat, glaring at you and you glared back.  
>"He is not dangerous Professor, he is my friend," you told him firmly ignoring Snape completely at this point. "He was my guard while I was in captivity and he treated us well. He was forced into this life and should not be punished for that," you continued talking.<br>"Thanks Anna," you heard Raven whisper softly into your ear and you nodded to him.  
>"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked, still with an amazingly calm tone of voice. He looked right past you and into Raven's eyes.<br>"My- my erm- my n-name is Race- Race Raven, sir" he nervously mumbled out and you could feel his body shaking violently against yours.  
>"He is Gargery Raven's boy!" Snape exclaimed raising his wand again, "Get out of the way now Darcy! Or I will blow you right away with him!" he threatened angrily. Something about the name had obviously rang a bell in Snape's mind and started a fire in his cold brown eyes.<br>"I am not my father, sir. He- he did this to me," his voice faltered as he referred to the smattering of injuries that were covering his body and Dumbledore nodded kindly towards him.

"YOU CANNOT ACTUALLY BELIEVE WHAT THIS BOY IS SAYING?" Snape yelled in disbelief. His sudden outburst made you jump in shock, but it had an even worse effect on Raven, who was now convulsing uncontrollably behind of you. You grabbed his hand tightly in yours in an attempt to try to calm him down a little bit.  
>"Actually I <em>do<em> believe what his boy is saying and I trust Miss Darcy," Dumbledore said firmly, "Naturally we will have to run some Veritaserum tests just in case".  
>"Of- of course, sir," Raven replied shakily, but he was beginning calm down a great deal.<br>"No! No, this cannot be happening! In all due respect Headmaster, he has Dark Mark shining clearly on his arm!" Snape yelled pointing to Raven's forearm.  
>"I recall him not being the only person at Hogwarts with a nice little tattoo on their arm Professor," you hissed glaring maliciously at your Potions master. Immediately the entire place fell silent and Snape's expression changed dramatically, he was staring into your eyes intently almost mentally pleading with you to say no more of his secret.<p>

"That is _enough_ Miss Darcy!" Dumbledore said sternly, giving you a warning look.  
>"Yes, sorry sir. I got a little carried away," you mumbled out your apologies to the headmaster.<br>"As we all do sometimes," Dumbledore replied, his voice becoming tranquil once more. "Please follow me Miss Darcy and Mr. Raven," he ordered and you both immediately followed quickly after him back toward the school. Bill also came with the three of you. He walked up front with Dumbledore, a good deal in front of you seeing as Raven was too injured to go very fast. You could tell that the two of them were conversing quietly about something that they would probably rather not have you overhear anyways.

"Thank you so much for doing that, Anna," Raven whispered, as he draped his arm around your shoulder for some much-needed support.  
>"Just paying you back for not beating the hell out of me back at the Headquarters," you laughed and he chuckled quietly as well. "Anyways what happened to you? You look absolutely terrible," you commented.<br>"Let's just say they weren't pleased to find out you had escaped under my watch, with my wand," he began and you could see the pain that appeared in his eyes as he talked, "As soon as they discovered me on the floor of the cell they went off. I don't think I have ever seen them so angry in my life, especially my father. They were going to kill me you know, but Rudolphus snuck me out at the last second and I ran here. I had nowhere else to go, you were the only person I could think of who would even consider believing me..." he trailed off.  
>"Oh Merlin, I am so sorry Raven. I never meant for them to hurt you," you apologized feeling absolutely terrible for almost getting him killed.<br>"Don't worry about; it really isn't your fault. You did what you had to do to save yourself and your friends. I must say it was a very clever plan, love. Especially the cleavage part, works every damn time," he chuckled, winking at you. You couldn't help, but laugh as well.

When you reached the top of the stairs you found Dumbledore and Bill standing there patiently waiting for your arrival. "I know you must be in a terrible amount of pain Mr. Raven, but I will allow you to go to the Hospital Wing in just a few moments. I will only ask a few questions just to make sure that you are telling us the truth," he explained.  
>"I understand, sir," Raven said, "Thank you for even giving me this chance," he added quietly.<br>"I always have a second chance to give," Dumbledore replied with a smile, "Which people say shall be my downfall someday, you know? But what do _people_ know anyways?" he chuckled opening up his door and lead Raven inside. "He should be out in a few moments Miss Darcy and after I would like you to escort him down to Madame Pomfrey's".  
>"Yes Professor," you said with a small smile, "I am sure Bill will keep me company," you added and Bill nodded.<p>

"So how have you been doing lately? It seems like so long since we last saw each other," Bill said pulling you into a tight hug and swinging you around.  
>You laughed as he set you back down on to the ground, "I have been doing alright. I had a wonderful Valentine's Day for myself," you giggled a little, "How was yours? Go on any hot dates Mr. Weasley?" you questioned cocking an eyebrow inquisitively at him.<br>"Unfortunately no," he sighed, "I spent Valentine's working beside the trolls at Gringotts and well- they aren't the most _attractive_ creatures in the world," he muttered bitterly.  
>"Awww- Poor Billy, no date at all?" you teased, messing up his hair playfully.<br>He sighed overdramatically, while placing his hand over his heart full the effect. "Not even a single kiss... tragic, isn't it?" he whined.  
>"Oh yes, how tragic!" you exclaimed sarcastically. "Here, it is a little late, but it might make you feel better," you laughed reaching up to give him a quick, innocent peck on the cheek.<br>Bill smiled; "Yes I must say I do feel one hundred percent better!" he laughed.  
>"Yeah, I am sure you do," a voice sneered and you both spun around to see a very angry looking Draco standing on the stair in front of you.<p> 


	65. Chapter 65

"Hey Draco," you greeted, "Raven is in there with Dumbledore;" you explained motioning toward the headmaster's office.  
>"Yeah, so you just though you would wait out here and start kissing Weasley, huh?" Draco hissed narrowing his ice blue eyes at you.<br>"What? Oh Draco you cannot be serious, it was just a friendly-" you began, but he cut you off.  
>"A kiss is a kiss Anna and I know what I saw," he spat spinning around on his heel and stalking off loudly down the winding staircase.<br>"Oh bugger..." you muttered, "I should go after him," you whispered fidgeting nervously with your hair, "But Dumbledore told me to wait for Raven".  
>"He will understand, it was a just a quick kiss between friends," Bill reassured you, patting you comfortingly on the back. "He is probably just feeling a little jealous, is all. I wouldn't worry about it," you turned and smiled weakly at him, hoping that he was correct.<p>

A few moments later the door of the headmaster's office swung open and a very relieved looking Raven appeared followed closely by a smiling Dumbledore. "I take it everything went well then?" you asked hopefully.  
>"Yes, very well indeed. Mr. Raven checks out just fine, now if you would Miss Darcy please escort him to the Hospital Wing for treatment and then bring him down to lunch, we will be sorting him then," Dumbledore went on, "And please give this note to Madame Pomfrey," he finished.<br>"Sorted? You are getting sorted?" you asked excitedly, taking the letter from Dumbledore. The thought temporarily pushed Draco out of your mind.  
>"Looks like it," Raven replied with a brilliant smile, "I am going to be a real student!"<br>"That's great Raven," you smiled and then linked your arm in his, "Here I will show you where the Hospital Wing is," you told him as you lead him slowly down the staircase toward the hallway.  
>"Bye Bill! See you this summer?" you called over your shoulder just before stepping through the stone gargoyle entrance.<br>"Oh I think you will see me before then," he chuckled in reply with a wink before disappearing into Dumbledore's office without anymore explanation.

"I just want to thank you again for saving me Anna, that greasy guy would have killed me if you hadn't come," he said appreciatively.  
>"Yeah he is kind of an arse," you laughed, "His name is Professor Snape and he teaches Potions".<br>"Oh hell, Potions is already my worst subject and I have him as a professor!" he exclaimed.  
>You laughed, "Yeah that is what we all say".<p>

"Madame Pomfrey! Madame Pomfrey?" you called looking around the empty room for the plump, curly-haired Healer. Suddenly she appeared from her office and rolled her eyes as soon as she saw you.  
>"What have you done to hurt yourself <em>this time<em>, Miss Darcy?" she asked sounding exasperated.  
>"It is not me this time!" you countered, "It is my friend Raven here," you explained pulling him from where he was attempting to hide behind you for some reason. "He got himself a little beat up and we need him better by lunch time for sorting!" you chuckled, patting him on the back. "Also Professor Dumbledore wanted me to give you this," you handed over the letter and she took it to read over it quickly.<br>"Alright, very good. Please take a seat on one of the beds Mr. Raven, Miss Darcy you can come and retrieve him in an hour or so," she finished, before swiftly ushering you out of the room and closing the door behind you.

As soon as she pushed you out into the hall you remembered that Draco was still angry with you. You let out a heavy sigh, "Why do boys have to be so stupid sometimes?" you muttered out loud, as you traipsed down the hall to find him. Your first thought was that he would be outside with the gang, because it was an uncharacteristically nice day for February. Turning on your heel you began to make your way toward the grounds when you heard someone calling your name behind you. When you spun around to check it out you saw Ron jogging down the hall toward you looking rather flustered.

"Hey Carrot Top, everything alright?" you asked when he finally reached you.  
>"Well kind of," he shrugged, "Draco is pissed about something... Did you really kiss my brother?" he asked with a look of disbelief on his face.<br>You rolled your eyes at the question, "Not the way he thinks I did," you replied.  
>Ron nodded, "Yeah I didn't think so," he chuckled weakly, "Anyways what the hell is Raven doing here?" he asked with curiosity.<br>"After he let us escape they tried to kill him, but he managed to get away, so he came here. He is going to be sorted at lunch today, right now Madame Pomfrey has him," you told him and for some reason he looked nervous.  
>"Do you think that we should really trust him? I mean he is a Death Eater, you know? It could be dangerous," Ron stated apprehensively.<br>"Dumbledore trusts him and that is enough for me," you said simply, "He interviewed him with Veritaserum, so I don't think we have anything to worry about".  
>"Yeah, I suppose you are right. You usually are," he laughed, "But you should really go talk with Draco. I think he is still in the Room of Requirement".<br>"Alright... wish me luck!" you laughed turning away from and switching your direction toward the Room of Requirement.

When you opened the door you looked inside to see Draco pacing with head down back and forth in front of a roaring fire. Harry was on the couch watching him and Luna was fast asleep on his shoulder snoring lightly. And finally there was Blaise on the other side of the room levitating books of their shelf and on to the ground and then back again in a bored manner...

"Hey everyone," you said quietly, closing the door shut behind you.  
>"Hello Anna," everyone chorused together except for Draco who did not stop pacing.<br>"Did he tell you guys everything about Raven?" you asked Harry and Blaise nodding toward Draco and they both nodded in understanding.  
>"Okay good, he is going to get sorted at lunch time. Let's just hope he doesn't get in Slytherin," you stated before taking a seat on the couch. "Do you erm- think you could leave me and him alone for a second?" you whispered quietly to Harry and he nodded again. With a sudden movement he swept Luna up into his arms and motioned for Blaise to follow after him. Blaise mouthed '<em>good luck<em>' before they all disappeared leaving the two of you alone.

"So you are mad at me, huh?" you attempted to initiate conversation.  
>"Wouldn't you be too? I don't suppose you would be thrilled to see me kissing another girl," he replied coldly, not even looking at you as he did.<br>You rolled your eyes at his response, in your opinion he was just being a stubborn git. He knew very well that you would not cheat on him, yet he felt the need to make a big deal out of it. In a way you were being stubborn too, because you refused to apologize for something you didn't actually do. "You know very well that I wouldn't cheat on you. You are just being thick-headed," you stated shortly.  
>He stopped pacing and turned to glare at you with those intense ice blue eyes of his that made your heart skip a beat. "I know what I saw, Anna," he retorted.<br>"And I know what I _did_," you countered, "I kissed him on the cheek, just like you would kiss Hermione or Luna. Nothing to get so dramatic about," you continued.  
>"Oh so you think that I am being dramatic, huh?" he asked, his voice rising.<br>"Yeah, I do!" you answered, standing up from the couch and raising your voice as well. You weren't about to back down now.

"It wasn't just the kiss Anna! You were bloody flirting with him!" he yelled angrily, "_Ooh Bill! You poor thing, no kiss on Valentine's Day? Oh we will just have to fix that!_" he imitated in a high-pitched, airy girl's voice.  
>"I was being friendly Draco, because well- he is my <em>friend<em>, you know? I saw you hug Luna last night, should I be flipping out at you right now, huh?" you snapped, now standing so your face was just inches from his.  
>"That's different!" he argued, "You know very well we are just friends, I never had a crush on Luna!" he finished bringing his face even closer.<br>You couldn't help, but laugh at this comment. "Who told you that I used to have a crush on him?" you snorted.  
>Draco raised an eyebrow at you, obviously not seeing what was so funny about the situation. "I overhead Harry telling Luna about it a little while ago," he answered.<br>Shaking you head a little you replied, "I _used_ to have a crush on him, yes. When I was young and stupid. He was older, good-looking, and kind of bad boy with that earring of his," you reminisced, "It was a silly schoolgirl crush. I was never in love with him, like I am with you".

"So you just though you would live out an old fantasy and then come crawling back to me?" he spat.  
>"<em>Ugh<em>! You are bloody impossible Draco Malfoy, do you know that?" you yelled back in reply, feeling yourself growing angrier. "He was a crush, but I love you, you stupid git! Sometimes I don't even know why!" you finished, narrowing your eyes maliciously at him.  
>And to your surprise he smiled, "You know you are kind of cute when you are mad," he commented. Your jaw dropped with disbelief and suddenly it hit you. He had stopped being angry a long time ago and had done that whole thing on purpose... it was definitely a Draco thing to do.<br>"Oh- you- you insufferable, brainless, cocky, pig-headed-" your rant was cut short however when he pressed his lips passionately up against yours. His soft lips sent you off into another world where it was only you and he, a world where everything just felt perfect. "Oh Merlin... why do you have to be such a good kisser?" you muttered and a triumphant smirk appeared on his face.


	66. Chapter 66

"I take it you two have made up then?" Harry laughed, as you and Draco both emerged from the Room of Requirement with your hands clasped together.  
>"Yeah, I just couldn't resist. She is so cute when she is mad," Draco chuckled kissing you lightly on the neck, making you shiver a little.<br>"Oh don't lie you twit," you snapped before turning to Harry and Luna, "He is just trying to act like he made the whole thing up to get me mad, when in reality he was being a jealous, little drama queen," you stated firmly.  
>"Whatever helps you sleep at night darling," he responded haughtily and you let out a loud exasperated sigh, before pushing him against the wall. Harry, Blaise, and Luna all laughed and shook their heads at your behavior.<br>"You guys remind me of how Hermione and Ron used to be," Harry sighed and suddenly everyone stopped laughing and awkward silence filled the hallway. It hurt you all so much to see the two of them apart.

"_Anyways,_" you began, changing the subject. "I need to go rescue Raven from the hospital wing and then we are off to lunch, alright?" you said and everyone nodded before following you down the hallway. When you retrieved Raven he looked a great deal better than he had when you dropped him off. All his cuts and bruise had been healed and he had also been supplied with a new set of untattered robes.  
>"I swear that lady is a miracle worker!" he exclaimed happily, when he came out.<br>"Yeah, she really is. Hell- I think I would be dead by now if it wasn't for her," you laughed, but you knew what you were saying was actually true.  
>"Hah! Me too," Harry agreed. He was the only one who could rival your record of longest time spent in the Hospital Wing.<br>"We should do something for her some day as a thank you," you commented to Harry.  
>"You know, that actually isn't a bad idea," he agreed.<p>

"Oh yeah Raven! I want you to meet my friends," you exclaimed, "You already know Draco from well- _you know_," you said awkwardly. "Anyways this bloke here is Blaise Zabini," you introduced and the two shook hands.  
>"Whoa, Zabini? As in Marcus Zabini's younger brother?" Raven questioned.<br>"Yeah... I figured you would know my brother," he mumbled, looking down at his feet. Blaise's family had always been a mystery to the rest of the group and you never really pushed the subject with him. All that you guys knew was his parents were dead and that his older brother had something to do with it.

"Anyways, who is this lovely lady here?" Raven asked smoothly, trying to change the subject speedily. He raised an eyebrow seductively at Luna, who to your surprised actually blushed a little pink.  
>"That would be <em>his<em> girlfriend, Luna Lovegood," you laughed, pointing to Harry.  
>"Well we are just going to have to see about that aren't we," Raven winked and Luna giggled as she shook his hand.<br>"Hey watch it there buddy that is _my_ girlfriend remember?" Harry reminded firmly, before sticking out his hand. "The name is Harry Potter by the way," he said and Raven's mouth dropped and his eyes widened.  
>"So you are the Harry Potter, huh? I have heard nothing, but your bloody name for pretty much my entire life," he said, "It is a pleasure to finally meet the boy who has driven my father to insanity," he said with a wide smile.<p>

When you finally entered the Great Hall everyone immediately stopped eating to turn and stare at the five of you. Everyone was curious to know whom the new boy was walking beside you. The only thing that they knew so far was that he was a Death Eater and that he somehow knew you. "Good luck mate," you whispered in his ear, "And don't worry about them, they will stop staring _eventually_," you added and he laughed nervously. With one last pat on the back from you and Draco he was off to the front of the hall to where McGonagall had already set up the small wooden stool and the raggedy old wizard's hat on top.

"He seems like a decent guy," Luna commented as he walked away.  
>"Yeah. Just a nice guy born on the wrong side of the tracks," you agreed. "He is a lot like me with the sarcastic humor and everything. Actually to be honest, he is a little <em>too<em> much like me," you laughed, "We tend to row a little bit. But all in all he is a good guy," you finished.  
>"Well if he is anything like you, I am sure that he will fit in pretty quickly," Luna said, smiling at you.<br>"Hey, thanks Lovegood," you replied giving her a side hug.  
>"Plus he is bloody gorgeous," she added with a smirk on her face.<br>"Yeah, he is pretty good looking," you agreed, "But I would watch it if I was you, we wouldn't want to make Harry jealous, would we?"  
>"And why not?" she laughed, as the two of you made your way toward the Gryffindor table, but you stopped in mid-step when Dumbledore's voice echoed through the hall.<p>

"Good afternoon everybody. It has been an eventful day today to say the least. I know this may be an inconvenience for some of you, but I must ask you all just for today to sit at your originally assigned house tables," he said and quite a few moans erupted from the students. So many of you had taken to sitting at different tables with your friends, with the exception of the first years who still hadn't met many members of other houses and the majority of the Slytherins who didn't want to associate with anyone supposedly _below_ them.

"Oh shit," you heard Draco grumble, as he and Blaise stood up from the table both looking depressed by the news. "Wish me luck baby, let's just pray that I come back alive," Draco said, kissing you on the forehead and then sauntering off toward the Slytherin table like he was walking towards doom.  
>"Looks like we are going to have to sit at the Ravenclaw table," you said to Luna, "See ya'll later!" you waved goodbye to the Gryffindors and head back to the table you hadn't sat at for so long now.<br>"It kind of feels weird sitting her doesn't it?" Luna commented, looking up and down the table.  
>"That is, because you two haven't sat here since practically last year," Michael Corner stated.<br>"Yeah we have missed you Darcy and with Quidditch being on hold until winter is over, I feel like I haven't talked to you in ages," Adam Lyndon whined.  
>"<em>Awww<em>- you missed me? Well aren't you guys sweet!" you laughed clasping your hands over your heart.  
>"It isn't like we all we missed you or anything Darcy. It is nice to come to dinner without having to worry about you eating all the food before we even get here," Padma broke in with a smirk on her face, which instantly sent her group of fawning girls into a fit of girly giggles.<br>"Ah- very clever Patil. Going after my abnormally large appetite, now that is a new one my dear! Unfortunately I am far too tired and partially hung over to think up a witty reply to that," you told her before turning back to look up at Dumbledore who was currently discussing something with Raven.

For a moment you diverted your eyes over to the Slytherin table to see an amusing sight. Blaise and Draco were huddled at the very end corner of the table, while the rest of them glared maliciously at them. You specifically saw Ruby Pickford send a meatball right into the hood of Draco's robe, which you made a mental note to tell him about later.  
>Then you looked over to the Gryffindor table to see Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Colin all sitting together, which was normal. But Hermione on the other hand could not be found with them. You looked a little further down the table to spot her beside Seamus along with Dean, Parvati, and Lavander. Not like this was bad or anything, but it was somewhat unusual. Those three had been the golden trio once upon a time, but it seemed like now one of them was slowly drifting away. You watched silently as Hermione burst out into a fit of giggles and playfully pushed Seamus in the chest, which prompted him to lean over and kiss her on the forehead. In truth it hurt you to see this; you remembered the days when that used to be her and Ron. They just always seemed so perfect for each other and for some reason you just didn't think that Seamus seemed right for her... at least not the way Ron was.<p>

"As I am pretty sure you have probably already noticed we have a newcomer in our midst. I would like to introduce you all to Race Raven, he is a transfer from Durmstrang Academy," Dumbledore introduced him and Raven waved nervously. You were glad that Dumbledore was not elaborating on Raven's situation and just saying he was a transfer student, it would make things a lot easier on him even if not everyone believed it. "He will be finishing off his seventh year here at Hogwarts and I trust that you will all make him feel welcome. Of course he will need to be sorted, so Mr. Raven if you would," Dumbledore said motioning toward the stool and hat. Raven nodded and shakily approached the chair and sat down before placing the hat upon his head. You couldn't help, but chuckle a little when you saw him jump, knowing very well the hat's voice had just appeared in his mind. The hat didn't say anything for nearly ten minutes and for those entire ten minutes the Great Hall was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop. Raven's eyes were closed tight and he was fidgeting nervously with his sleeves. Then finally at long last the brim of the hat opened up and shouted out... "RAVENCLAW!"

You and Luna instantly began applauding loudly for him as he set the hat down and strode over to the table, but the rest of the Ravenclaws seemed to be in shock. '_Did a Death Eater just get put into Ravenclaw?_' was the thought running through all their minds. Little did they know that he was not the first Death Eater to be placed into the house of silver and blue... few were aware of Freddie's change of sides in the war outside of the Order and the DA.

"Congratulations Raven!" you exclaimed, jumping up and pulling him into a hug.  
>"Welcome to Ravenclaw! Home of the intelligent, the wise, the witty-" Luna began.<br>"-and downright loony!" you finished, making Raven laugh and Padma roll her eyes.  
>"That is a catchy slogan you two got there," he commented winking at you both as he took the empty seat beside you. "Too bad not everyone else seems so erm- welcoming," he mumbled. Everyone else at the table was looking at him as if he had just killed someone.<br>"Don't worry about it, mate," you told him, "They have been looking at me like that for seven years now".  
>"Yeah, you start to get used to it after awhile," Luna added, "Plus we don't really need to sit here anyways, this is just a special occasion. Usually we sit at the Gryffindor table where we are a little more erm- <em>well-liked<em>..." she explained.


	67. Chapter 67

"Well thank Merlin that is over, I couldn't even eat with them all glaring at me like that," Draco muttered as you all exited the Great Hall after lunch.  
>"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" you exclaimed dropping his hand that you were holding and reaching into his hood. "Ruby gave you a little present when you weren't looking," you laughed, holding out the meatball.<br>"Aw- nasty!" he exclaimed, trying to crane his neck to observe the damage it had done to his hood. "I never liked that girl," he mumbled bitterly.  
>"Yeah, well you did make out with her mate," you teased him.<br>He mock glared at you, "We have gone over this Anna! _I_ did not kiss that- that _thing_, a very poor imitation of me did!" he declared. "The only girl I would kiss is you, love," he added with a sweet smile that made you blush.

Suddenly you felt someone grab your shoulder and pull you pretty roughly away from Draco's side. "Whoa there mate! What's with the violence?" you exclaimed when you saw that it was Seamus who had grabbed you.  
>"Oh sorry about that, Anna. I don't know my own strength sometimes," he laughed feebly. "Anyways I just wanted to talk to you about something," he said in a hushed voice, before pulling you over to a corner by your wrist.<br>"Alright, what's up?" you inquired curiously; you could tell by his facial expressions that he was nervous about something. His eyes kept darting over to where Ron, Harry, Draco, and Raven were talking together.  
>"That Raven fellow, he is not going to be coming to the DA meetings is he?" Seamus asked.<br>"Uh- actually he is, Dumbledore specifically requested that he did. Since he used to be a Death Eater he knows a lot of things about them. Not only information, but also their weaknesses, strengths, and strategies. He will be very helpful in preparing for our fight against them," you explained.  
>"But- but he is a Death Eater!" Seamus countered lamely and there was clearly fear in his eyes.<br>"_Was_ a Death Eater, mate. Besides Dumbledore checked him out and he says he is trustworthy, so relax okay?" you told him, patting him on the shoulder.  
>"Yeah- yeah, okay. See you tonight Anna," he said, forcing a smile and then walking swiftly away down the hall.<p>

"What was that all about?" Draco asked when you returned back to the group.  
>"He was just a little worried about Raven I guess," you whispered in reply, "I don't really blame him. It is going to take a long time for people to get used to him, it took them awhile to finally accept you and you didn't have the Dark Mark permanently tattooed on your arm," you finished.<br>"Yeah... but Dumbledore said it was fine, so it should be okay," he responded hopefully.  
>"Let's hope," you mumbled.<p>

That night you and Raven headed down to the Room of Requirement earlier than everyone else, so you could show him around a little before the meeting commenced. The two of you stepped into the room, which was set up just like normally was on the night you had meetings. The same bookshelves containing over a hundred Defense Against the Dark Arts books, the round table in the center, Dark Art detectors and instruments, and the small pile of cushions in the corner that came in handy when Harry was demonstrating stunning spells on you. A smile formed on your face when you turned around to see the awed expression that Raven's face had taken on.

"Pretty cool, huh? All you have to do is think it and here it is!" you exclaimed holding your hands up.  
>"This place is incredible!" he said, laughing a little. "They had nothing this cool back at Durmstrang, I will tell you that. Honestly compared to this school that place really sucked the big one. I mean over here there are secret rooms, the temperature is actually above negative thirty degrees Fahrenheit, you don't have to wear hats that look like raccoons, and of course the greatest thing of all- there are so may hot girls at this school- in skirts no less!" he finished energetically.<br>You chuckled, "I guess years of going to an all boys school has left you a little erm- _sexually frustrated_?" you suggested, with a smirk on your face.  
>"Hah! You have no bloody idea! Six years at a school full of burly German boys with uni-brows, who ranted about nothing and I mean nothing, but the Dark Arts and their bloody fathers. I am pretty sure those guys didn't even know what girls were. And then as soon as I get out of that place I get thrown into the Death Eater life where the only girls around are Bellatrix Lestrange and Pansy Parkinson dressed in black shrouds... Merlin, how did I survive?" he laughed.<br>"Oh you poor thing," you said with fake sympathy. "So are there any girls who have particularly caught your eye yet?" you asked curiously and you noticed a mischievous glint appear in his eyes.

He paced around the round table observing various books before he finally answered. "Well there is that Luna Lovegood, she really is gorgeous," he answered and you felt your insides churn at his words. "She looks a lot like you actually, but completely different at the same time," he mused.  
>"And what is that supposed to mean?" you inquired, raising an eyebrow at him.<br>"I don't know exactly. I mean don't get me wrong you are beautiful too," he added hastily and you rolled your eyes at him. "But she has a sort of medieval look about her almost, like a princess..." he sighed.  
>"You better watch it Raven, I am serious about this one. Harry and Luna are in love and Harry is definitely the jealous type. He really doesn't need you hitting on his girlfriend in front of him," you warned.<br>"Yeah, yeah I know _mother_," he replied coldly, "I don't need you telling me what I can and cannot do".  
>"You are new here and I am just trying to help you out, no need to get your panties all in a twist," you replied sardonically, feeling your temper slowly rising.<br>"Well I am just saying that I can hit on whomever I wish and if she goes for it then maybe they are not as _in love_ as you think," he shot back.  
>"<em>Ooh<em> Race Raven I swear I will kick you where the does not shine if you do anything!" you shouted, your temper boiling over. "How would you have liked it if some guy was flirting with that old girlfriend of yours- Colette!" you added. But the sudden depressed and pained expression that fell across his face made you regret your words.

"I'm sorry Raven, I shouldn't have said that," you apologized quietly. He shrugged and looked away from you pretending to become suddenly engrossed with a book on the table. "I know you are not really reading that, you know," you said matter-of-factly, plopping down into the seat beside of him, "Look I honestly didn't mean to say that, it just sort of came out. Kind of like word vomit," you explained.  
>He laughed a little, which relieved you slightly. "Don't worry about it mate, it just sort of- I don't know, it threw me off a little," he muttered.<br>"Have you ever thought about seeing her again?" you asked, curiosity overcoming you.  
>"Well sometimes, now a little bit more. Since I am not a Death Eater anymore I suppose that I could," he though out loud, "But I doubt that she wants to see me again after everything that happened".<br>"Maybe, but maybe not. You never know until you try darling," you chuckled, ruffling his spiky black and blue hair. "Just stay away from Luna or I will be forced to kick your arse," you cautioned.  
>He snorted, "Oh- well I am scared now!" he responded sarcastically.<br>"You should be," you replied, with an evil grin just as the door swung open.

Slowly one by one the rest of the group had filed into the room and took their usual seats on top of the seat cushions on the ground in front of the round table where you, Harry, and Hermione normally sat. "I suppose I should be sitting down there, huh?" Raven whispered in your ear.  
>"Mhmm," you responded, "Just sit next to Draco, he won't hurt you I promise," You told him.<br>"Well I was actually thinking about taking that empty spot next to Luna," he stated, with a devilish smirk. With this statement you abruptly kicked your foot up behind you, not too hard, but just hard enough and with perfect aim too. "_Oww_! Bloody hell, Darcy!" he exclaimed clutching his private area.  
>"I told you, don't mess with Lovegood," you smirked and he glared maliciously at you. "Well you can't say I didn't warn you".<p> 


	68. Chapter 68

"Good evening everyone!" you greeted, with an unusual amount of energy. You were in a particularly good mood after giving Raven an unpleasant warning. He was still glaring at you from his spot on the floor between Draco and Ron, which amused you even more. "We have a new member with us tonight, everyone smile and wave to our darling Race Raven," you exclaimed, pointing to him. Everyone turned and wave, he smiled at him or her, but as soon as they turned back around he glared even harder at you. "Now for some updates erm- there isn't much to say really, is there?" you asked turning to Harry and Hermione who both just shrugged. "Okay then tonight we are just going to go over dealing with Dementors, mainly the patronus charm. And just have some fun I guess, since there are actually no adults at this meeting," you smiled, "Hollows will be joining us again on Monday I believe though," and at this everyone groaned in unison.

"Expecto Patronum!" you cried and the beautiful, silvery tiger sprung from the tip of your wand and began to jog gracefully around the room.  
>"Wow! Your patronus is a tiger? Mine is a bloody raven, go figure?" Raven laughed.<br>"Well I would rather a raven than an otter," Hermione commented, looking down at her own patronus. "I mean really, how is this thing supposed to fend off only the scariest bloody thing there is in the wizarding world?" she inquired exasperatedly.  
>"Don't worry Herms, it looks like an erm- fierce- yeah that's one fierce otter!" you exclaimed.<br>She rolled her eyes, "Is there even such thing as a _fierce_ otter?" she asked skeptically.  
>"Naw- I guess not. But you aren't really fierce yourself Herms, if you think about it. The patronus is supposed to reflect your personality," you explained.<br>"Oh _brilliant_! So I am an otter and you are a bloody tiger!" she muttered with a definite hint of annoyance in her voice.

Suddenly the door of the Room of Requirement swung open and you looked over to see Seamus come stumbling in. Or at least you though it was Seamus? He looked very different than usual. His normally sandy blonde hair was now a dark, coal black color and you could have sworn his eye color had changed as well. You certainly did not remember him ever having green eyes. "Whoa, Seamus what is with the new look? You look- erm- you look a lot like Harry," Parvati commented with a confused expression across her face, identical to everyone else's.  
>"Yeah, mate. You kind of do look a lot like me," Harry's voice faltered a little.<br>"And in case you didn't know Halloween isn't until October, darling," you piped up. "Damn good costume though, it'll send all the little first years running," you tacked on the end, with a pleased smirk.  
>Harry frowned at you, "Now that was uncalled for Darcy," he responded and the rest of the group laughed before returning their attention once more to Seamus.<p>

Sensing everyone's curious stares he backed up a little with uneasiness. "I just- I thought it was a good time for a change, you know? I was sick of looking so- erm- Irish! Yeah, that's it," he said triumphantly.  
>"Sick of looking Irish? But I like Irish blokes, I find them rather adorable actually," Hannah giggled.<br>"You know I am Irish, Hannah!" Dennis Creevey informed her enthusiastically.  
>"That's nice Denny," she replied distractedly, not really hearing him. He sighed heavily as he realized she didn't get the hint and plopped back down in his chair to pout.<p>

"Um hunny... no offense or anything, but I think I preferred the way you used to look," Hermione stated timidly from next to you. "I mean I respect your decision wholeheartedly and everything, but-" she paused as if trying to find the write words to say. Giving up on her old sentence she stared a new one, "How did you do this anyways?" she questioned.  
>"A few simple Transfiguration spells and presto!" he exclaimed, "A new me!" he chuckled, winking at the rest of you. Everyone else laughed weakly, but you were all still pretty confused about what exactly was going on. "Guys really it is okay, just trying out something new is all," he assured everyone, but everyone still looked pretty confused and slightly suspicious.<p>

You woke up that day with a pounding headache. A dream had disturbed your sleep during the night, but you couldn't remember anything that happened during it. For nearly twenty minutes you sat up in your bed racking your mind for recollection of it, but nothing came to you. "Stupid, bloody dreams..." you mumbled, succumbing to your frustration and giving up on remembering anything. The dreams came more often now, but you could only remember faint whispers of them, nothing that could actually prove any use. You swung your legs over the side of your four-poster bed and set your bare feet down on the cold, wooden floor. You shivered a little as you made your way toward the bathroom to prepare for the day. It was a particularly cold May morning and rain racked hard against the glass windows of your room. Gray storm clouds loomed threateningly in the sky as if signaling today would be gloomy day. And a gloomy day it was indeed...

Just as you tightened your silver and navy tie around your neck and slipped Draco's promise ring back on to your finger a shrill scream erupted from your dormitory. In a split second you bolted toward the door and threw it open somewhat aggressively with your wand held at ready. When you looked inside, in front of you was a most unusual sight. Padma, only dressed in a skimpy tank top and panties, was rushing quickly back into her bed. Stacey, Abby, and Jane were all staring wide-eyed from their beds with their blankets wrapped tightly around their bodies, so that only their heads could be seen. And in the middle of the room stood Professor Severus Snape. His eyes were narrowed and his expression was grim and serious. His dark, dead-brown orbs were tracing the room, looking for something or _someone_ in this case.

"Can I help you with something Professor?" you asked tentatively, trying to keep your expression serious, because he hadn't been too fond of you lately. You, Harry, and Draco were still taking Occlumency lessons from him and you were currently learning to fight of the Imperius curse. Thanks to three of you's equally stubborn minds he had received a few good bruises from being flung up against the wall in self-defense the previous night. But it was hard to stay serious; you couldn't help, but find the fact Snape had walked in on Padma only in her undergarments exceptionally entertaining. The girl now in all likeliness would be scarred for the rest of her life.  
>"Ah- there you are Darcy," he said in a quiet, dreary tone of voice. "You need to come with me <em>now<em>, it is urgent," he told you and you could tell by the look on his face that he meant it.  
>"What is wrong, Professor? Is everyone okay?" you asked anxiously, automatically fearing the worst had happened to one of your friends.<br>"Just come with me Darcy and everything will be explained later," he snapped impatiently. He reached over and grabbed you firmly by the elbow and pulled you somewhat forcibly down the flight of stairs.  
>"Hey! How come you can walk on the stairs? You are a boy, <em>aren't you<em>?"  
>You asked suspiciously.<br>"_Ugh_- do you ever bloody shut up?" he replied indignantly. "And yes I am a male, Professors can walk up the stairs in case of emergency," he explained.  
>"Yeah, okay- that is what you want me to think," you chuckled.<p>

"So what is going on anyways?" you asked again, fear floating back into your mind as you walked into the hallway. It was only about half past six in the morning, so the corridors were uninhabited for the most part.  
>"I told you everything would be explained later," he responded curtly, as he continued to drag you down the hall speedily by the elbow.<br>"Just please tell me this- is anyone hurt?" you asked, giving him a pleading look.  
>He sighed loudly and you knew he was about to give in, "Yes someone is hurt, Miss Darcy. No, they are not dead and no, it is not Draco or any members of the DA. Everything else will be explained to you when we reach the headmaster's office," he informed you. You felt slightly relieved knowing that Dumbledore and the DA were still safe, but worried of whom it was who had actually gotten hurt.<p>

Snape literally pushed you up the stairs towards Dumbledore's office and it was obvious whatever it was that happened was urgent news. The fear shining in your Potion master's eyes was plain to see and frankly- it made you downright petrified.

When you entered the room Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen. Instead stood Professor McGonagall shaking in the corner by the window, running her fingers fretfully through her slowly graying black hair. Beside her Flitwick was attempting to comfort her and across from them Professor Hollows was pacing back and forth. They were not the only ones present in the room however. Also in front of you Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were seated all looking very pale and a mixture of fatigue and anxiety. Hermione was sitting on the edge of her seat next to Ginny, playing nervously with the small gold ring that now adorned her right ring finger. Seamus had given it to her a few weeks ago and you had yet to see her take it off. But in all fairness you rarely saw Hermione anymore. Ever since she and Ron had broken up she had been a little distant, mostly because her and Ron still couldn't be in the same room together without it getting awkward. But lately it had becoming worse, almost to the point where you weren't sure if she was still your friend anymore.

"Oh good- you managed to get Darcy," Hollows commented when she saw you.

"I still don't see why you couldn't have gone, Aldarah. I walked in on Patil in her- _nightwear_," Snape muttered, "I am never going to live that down."  
>"Believe me- neither will she," you responded and Snape huffed. You suppressed the urge to laugh remembering the apparent seriousness of the situation and took the empty seat between Ron and Harry. "Do you have any idea what is going on here?" you whispered quietly to Harry.<br>"No bloody clue, McGonagall came bursting into our room and dragged Ron and me here. She wouldn't say a word to us," he replied.  
>"Well Snape told me someone was hurt," you continued to talk in a hushed tone, so no one else could hear.<br>Suddenly Harry's green eyes grew wide with fear, "Who do you think it could be?" he asked.  
>"I have no idea," you answered, taking his hand in yours.<p> 


	69. Chapter 69

Everyone stopped moving and held their breath when Dumbledore swept inside of the room. "Good morning everyone," he greeted kindly, his blue eyes tracing over each person that stood or sat within in his office. "I am sorry for getting you all up so early, but last night was an eventful night for all of us..." he sighed, taking a seat.  
>"Headmaster, what is going on?" Harry asked straightforwardly; he never was exactly a patient person, especially when it came to this sort of thing.<br>"Yes- yes, you are right Mr. Potter. I will just get straight to the point," he said, "Last night a band of Death Eaters attacked the Ministry," and the five of you gasped at once. "No one has died, but there were quite a few injuries. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Amelia Bones, the secretary Laurie Marshall, and most notably the Minister himself," Dumbledore finished in a tone not above a whisper.

"The Minister?" Ron gasped, jumping instantly up from his seat. "Is Dad okay? What happened? Who did it?" the questions poured from his mouth in one long, drawn out breath. You looked to your right to see Harry gripping the arms of seat so tightly his knuckles were turning white and next to Ron, Ginny was now shaking and her pale blue eyes were wide with fear.  
>"He is alive Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore answered, but the statement wasn't much comfort.<br>"Is he going to be okay?" Ginny inquired in a shaky voice.  
>"We don't know yet, Miss Weasley," the headmaster admitted, "He is currently being taken care of in St. Mungo's, he suffered a rather nasty blow of the Cruciatus curse I believe," he explained further.<br>"No... No- this can not be happening! I have to see him, you have to let us see him," Ron pleaded; there was desperation in his voice that broke your heart.

McGonagall came up behind him and rested her hand gently on Ron and Ginny's shoulders. "Of course you can go see him, you all can," she responded in a kindhearted voice. "Your brothers and mum are already there," she told them, "We are just going to have you all floo to the hospital entrance."  
>All of you nodded and quickly stood up, eager to see how Mr. Weasley was doing. Your heart was racing in your chest, what if he died? The Weasleys would be a complete and total mess; they were such a tight knit family. You remembered how terribly Mrs. Weasley took the loss of her pigheaded son Percy, you couldn't even imagine what would happen if Arthur died. And the other question was who would become the next Minister? Dumbledore had already refused the position numerous times, but who else could handle such a danger and responsibility? '<em>Don't even think about that Anna, he won't die,<em>' you thought firmly to yourself, but the rest of your friends did not look so assured.

"What do you think happened? What if he got attacked by that snake again too?" Harry muttered out nervously beside you. Ron and Ginny were the first to go through the fireplace, and then were closely followed by Dumbledore and the rest of the professors so only you, Harry and Hermione were still there.  
>"Well I guess we better get going," you whispered stepping toward the fire.<br>"I don't know if I should go," Hermione blurted out of the blue, both you and Harry stopped suddenly and gave her strange looks. Why wouldn't she want to go? The Weasleys had been like a second family to all three of you since you started your schooling at Hogwarts seven years ago.

"What are you talking about Herms?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.  
>"I mean I highly doubt Ronald wants me there right now," she mumbled in reply. "I don't think that any of the Weasleys really want to see me right now to be honest."<br>"Oh come on Hermione, it's not like we expected you two to always be together," Harry broke in.  
>"Well erm- actually we did," you corrected him, "But it is okay you broke up, no one is mad at you. I mean he is the one that broke up with you right?" you responded.<br>She sniffed at your comment and you noticed the tears begin to well up in her eyes all of a sudden. "But I let him do it," she cried, "I let him leave me! He was an emotional mess, I mean hell- his family just got put in the worst position of all time, I would have been an emotional mess too if it was me. I should have been there for him, but I just let him go. I didn't fight, I just walked out on him... did you know that? I was scared, I couldn't help, but think what he was saying was true. He was a danger to me, being the Minister son's girlfriend isn't exactly a safe spot to be in," she continued.  
>"Well neither is being the best friend of number one and number two on Voldemort's most wanted list," Harry broke in referring to you and him, "And you haven't given up on us yet," he finished and at this she broke out into hysterics. "<em>Have<em> you given up on us Hermione?" Harry asked, as sudden understanding came to his face as well as yours.

"You guys don't even notice it, do you? I have been avoiding you for months!" she exclaimed, running her fingers through her frizzy brown hair. "I don't want to die, I don't want to die..." she repeated sinking back down into one of the chairs. "Seamus wasn't dangerous he was safe. He wasn't related to any Death Eaters, he had no scar on his forehead, and he wasn't the Minister of Magic's son! He was just plain old Seamus Finnigan! No threat to anyone really, you know? Just another pawn in the war fighting for good, no one special. I was sick and tired of being special. I was sick of having to watch my back everywhere I went and sleep with one eye open at night," she confessed, she looked up at you with sadness in her eyes, but you could have cared less. You had noticed her avoidance and now that you knew the reason you were even angrier than you had been before.  
>"So you decided to wimp out on us?" you asked coldly. "Just decided one day to up and desert your mates Granger? Oh real nice! <em>Real bloody nice!<em>" you finished angrily.  
>"I am sorry, okay?" she cried, standing up and gripping tightly to the arm of her chair. "You guys are not the easiest to be friends with, you know?"<br>"Of course we know that! Don't you think we know that?" Harry shouted, his face was reddened with anger. "Why do you think we try to push you away sometimes? Do you know how it feels to know that you are putting all your friends in danger just by being around them? Yes, Hermione it is scary sometimes. But you don't see Luna or Blaise or Draco ditching us, do you?"  
>"I- I- I am sorry..." she whispered, no longer able to look either of you in the eye. "I really am," she added, before she turned and left the room with her head hanging low like a wounded puppy. "And tell Mr. Weasley I send my best wishes," she said quietly, as she closed the door behind her.<p>

"I have known her since I was eleven," you said quietly. A single, silver tear rolled down your freckled cheek and onto your lips. "And she just left," you sighed.  
>Harry nodded slowly, before he pulled you into a tight hug. "Sometimes I just feel alone," he mumbled, "Sometime I think I <em>am<em> alone."  
>"You are not alone," you told him resolutely, "I will always be here for you Harry. And Luna loves you, you know that," you added.<br>"Hah!" he laughed, but it was not a true laugh. "Then why is she always around Raven? Giggling and flirting! Because she can't do it with me anymore, that is why. I used to be fun Anna, I used to be able to make her laugh and smile," he reminisced, "But I can't anymore. The time is drawing near Anna; I can feel it in my heart every day. It is affecting me in ways I don't like, I just feel- I feel helpless."  
>"I know," you whispered, putting your hand on top of his. "My dreams are getting worse," you sighed, "The end is not going to come easy for any of us, I can feel it in my heart," you told him, just as the door of the office flung open.<p>

"What is going on? Is everything alright?" Draco asked fearfully, seeing the sullen expressions on both yours and Harry's faces. "Are you okay Anna?" he asked, with concern in his brilliant eyes. He wrapped his arms around your waist and leaned in so his face was just mere centimeters from yours.  
>"I am okay, but Mr. Weasley isn't," you replied, "He was attacked by Death Eaters last night along with Susan's aunt, Kingsley, and a secretary."<br>"Bloody hell," Draco mumbled, squeezing you tighter and kissing you on the forehead. You took a deep breath as Draco held your body close to his. He had a sort of calming effect on you and when you were with him somehow you knew everything would be okay. "Luna said she saw Snape come up to your dormitory, so we figured something had to be wrong. She went off to get Blaise and Raven I think, she should be here in a minute," he explained to the both of you.  
>"Wonderful! She is off to get Raven," Harry said bitterly, rolling his eyes. Draco gave you a questioning look, but you signaled for him to just let it go.<p>

Just minutes after this Luna, Blaise, and Raven all came stumbling into the room looking flustered. "Is everyone okay?" Luna blurted out instantly.  
>"For now," you replied, "Mr. Weasley is in St. Mungo's. The Ministry was attacked last night," you explained yet again. "Now we should go, Ron needs someone to be there for him and seeing as some of us have made a habit of abandoning their friends lately-" you hissed turning on your heel and marching over to the fire. Luna, Blaise, Draco, and Raven all exchanged confused glances, but Harry understood perfectly and marched up right behind you.<p> 


	70. Chapter 70

"What took you two so long?" McGonagall snapped in annoyance, when you stepped through the fireplace and found yourself in a particularly shabby looking room. There were loose floorboards, peeling wallpaper, and the manikins in the window were bent and broken. It appeared to have once been a muggle clothing shop, but had been abandoned a long time ago and left to rot.  
>"Sorry about that Professor," Harry apologized, "We were interrupted," he explained and as if on cue the rest of your group came tumbling out.<br>"Oh just brilliant! You all better stay behaved, this is a hospital!" McGonagall warned sternly, shaking a finger at the whole group of you. "Where is Miss Granger?" she asked, noticing her absence.  
>"She didn't want to come," you replied, "She had other things to do."<br>"Yeah, she had some friends who needed her," Harry said, with a frown on his face. McGonagall and the rest of you all looked curiously at the two of you, but they all decided to ignore it for now.

"Well- okay then, follow me. And stay quiet! I still have the power to give you detention," she threatened.  
>"Ah- see but detention with you could never be punishment Professor," Raven piped up, sending a wink her way. To your surprise McGonagall actually giggled a little. '<em>Jeez- now he is even flirting with Professors, this boy has no limits,<em>' you thought amusedly to yourself.  
>"Oh hush you! I swear you will flirt with anything with two legs," Luna rolled her eyes at him.<br>"Aw- but darling, I only really flirt with you beauties such as yourself," he chuckled and she raised an eyebrow at him. Beside you Harry was clenching his fists angrily and you couldn't help, but feel a little pissed off yourself. Maybe Harry was right? Maybe Luna was drifting away from him? And suddenly a worried feeling overcame you. First Hermione and now it seemed Luna too? What if Draco left you? What if he got scared and decided you weren't worth the danger or worry that you were putting him through. It killed you that you depended so deeply on the boy standing beside you with his fingers entwined with yours. You loved him more than anyone or anything in the world. He was your rock and as weak as it made you sound, you weren't sure if you could handle the painful reality of life without him there beside you...

"Just wait outside for a minute. His family is in there with him right now and he can't have too many visitors at once," McGonagall exclaimed stopping in front of one of the hospital rooms. You all took a seat in the waiting room just down the hall, feeling sick to your stomachs.

"Are you scared Draco?" you whispered to him, so that nobody else could hear.  
>"Of course I am scared," he sighed, "I hope Mr. Weasley is okay," he said.<br>"No- no, I mean- are you _scared_?" you asked again, tears forming in your eyes.  
>Draco suddenly looked fretful, "Are you okay Anna? Why are you crying?" he said, as he gently wiped away your tears with his thumb. "What do you mean am I scared? Scared of what, love?" he inquired.<br>"Of everything... of the final battle," you answered, "I have some part to play in it and Voldemort knows. The time is drawing near now... I can feel it, Harry can feel it, and I know _He_ can feel it too," you whispered, your voice shaking slightly. "Hermione has been avoiding us, she is scared Draco. She is scared of being associated with us. People are distancing themselves from me and Harry," you said.

Draco nodded in understanding. He lifted up your small hand and pressed his lips against your fingers. "Anna, look me in the eye," he told you firmly and you obeyed. You looked straight into his ice blue orbs and the tears began to come out harder. In those eyes you saw your love, your life, your past, your future, your present, and your everything just flash before you in an instant. In them was a part of you that you never wanted to let go. "I- love- you- Anna- Darcy-" he emphasized every word firmly as he gripped your hands tightly in his. "I don't care what kind of danger you are in, I am in the prophecy too remember? The only thing I am afraid of is loosing you. I am not afraid of dying, not if it is for a cause that I believe in. I believe in us Anna, I believe in you," he whispered, cupping your chin in his hand. "I will always be there for you and that is a promise," he told you.  
>"Thank you Draco," you replied, biting your lower lip. "I- I really needed to hear that," you admitted. "I honestly don't know what I would do without you."<br>"And thankfully you will never have to find out," he smiled and you smiled back. "Now give me a kiss, love," he chuckled. He leaned down and softly brushed his soft lips against yours in a sweet kiss. You could feel how much he loved you when he kissed you and your faith was restored. He would stand by you until the end; you could feel it in your heart.  
>"I don't know how you ever got yourself put in Slytherin," you commented, as his lips left yours. "Because inside you have the heart of a lion," you whispered, resting your heat on chest to listen to slow and steady beating of his heart. He lifted your chin and leaned down to kiss you again, but this time with more passion in his kisses. He pulled you close to him, so you were swept off your chair and on to his lap. You felt his tongue brush against your bottom lip and you immediately opened your mouth to let it in as you wrapped your arms around his neck and he stroked your hair softly.<p>

"_Ehem_," someone pretended to cough from behind you. Both you and Draco nearly jumped out of your chairs and turned to see Tonks standing behind you. Her hair now reached all the way down to her butt and was a rather violent shade of fuchsia. A smile was on her heart shaped face, revealing the small dimples on her chin. Her eyes that you could have sworn used to be dark green, were now a sparkly, turquoise blue color. "Hello there my little lovebirds! Though I certainly don't want to rain on your parade, some of the other people in the waiting room don't appreciate your snogging party over here," she chuckled, motioning toward an elderly couple that was shooting the two of you death glares.

You laughed a little, "Sorry if we are disturbing you! But I find it usually helps if you just stop staring!" you called to the two old wizards. They both looked appalled by your comment and turned away in a huff, making sure to focus on anything in the room except you.  
>"Uh oh, love. I think you might have offended them," Draco teased.<br>You shrugged, "Well that is what they get for gawking," you replied, crossing your arms in front of your chest. "Anyways, how are you Tonks? It has been a long time since I saw you and your appearance had certainly changed," you commented with an amused smile.  
>"Yeah, I got sick of green. It made me look a tad to peaky, I think," she said seriously. "Anyways how have you lot been? I figured I'd come talk to you first, Harry looks like he is ready to bite someone's head off," she commented, shooting him a nervous glance.<br>"Well that would be, because his girlfriend is erm- well not being very _girlfriendly_," you explained, pointing to where Luna and Raven were talking animatedly about something.  
>"Ouch," she responded, making a face. "Poor bloke," she said, with a sympathetic look.<br>"Yeah- everyone is a little off right now actually. With Mr. Weasley being in the hospital and Hogwarts letting out in just a month. It is all just really sneaking up on us, I guess," Draco remarked. And his words hit you like a load of bricks... Hogwarts was letting out in a month. You had been pushing the thought of leaving Hogwarts to the back of your mind since March, but now it seemed you couldn't avoid the subject for too much longer.

"Do you know how Mr. Weasley is doing? And the others too?" you asked her.  
>She nodded, "Mr. Weasley is recovering well. Luckily Lupin and I got there before Lestrange could do too much damage. Damn lucky actually, you saw what that gal did to the poor Longbottoms," she sighed.<br>"My mother again?" you said resentfully, "Merlin, I really do hate that woman," you muttered.  
>"Believe me, we all do," Tonks responded. "But on the bright side, he is doing well and so is everyone else except for the secretary. Poor girl got the brunt of her fury when she wouldn't let them inside; afraid we lost her earlier this morning."<br>You shook your head sadly, a wave of grief rushing over you for the poor girl and her now mourning family. "It is absolutely terrible," you said angrily. "I just want to send them all to Azkaban and watch them rot!" you shouted, causing a few heads to turn and stare, but you could have cared less.  
>"Don't we all," a deep voice said calmly, from behind of you. A hand rested gently on your shoulder and you turned to see Kingsley Shacklebolt standing there with a weak smile on his bruised and cut up face. He was an extremely tall, handsome, and muscular man, with short brown hair, dark skin, kind light brown eyes, and a gold earring in his left ear. He was a somewhat intimidating man when you first saw him, but all those who knew couldn't help, but love the man. He was kind and good-natured; someone who could always put a smile on your face. At the same time though, he was fierce, strong, and definitely not someone to be messed with. But there he stood bruised and broken from his encounter with the Dark Lord's followers and it scared you shitless. If people like Kingsley Shacklebolt could be taken down, what chance did a short, scrawny girl like yourself have? If even trained Aurors spoke of <em>His<em> name with fear, what hope did you really stand in the end? Sure, you were an exceptional wizard for your age. Harry was even more brilliant then yourself when it came to Defense Against the Dark Arts and even in dueling. But were either of you any match to the darkest and seemingly most powerful wizard in the world? Neither of you would ever consider challenging Dumbledore to a duel, because both you and Harry know very well that you would loose. If the only wizard who could match Dumbledore's strength is the very own you have to defeat, what hope was there really?

And then you felt Draco's arms wrap tightly around your waist as he pulled you closer to him. Harry, Luna, Blaise, and Raven walked over and surrounded you to listen to what Kinglsey had to say. You looked around at the faces of your friends and a smile actually appeared on your faces. Though you were not the most talented or strong witch in the world, you had something Voldemort did not have; friends who truly loved you. Even though doubts got the better of everyone now and then, you knew when the time came they would be there for you even if it meant death...


	71. Chapter 71

"Hey there Kingsley, how are you feeling?" you asked in a gentle tone.  
>"Much better," he answered, "I'll be all set to go back to work tomorrow!" he added enthusiastically.<br>Tonks snorted at this comment, "I swear Kingsy, you are the only person I know who would actually be eager to come back to work after taking a blow like that."  
>"Well I want to get them back you know! Those bastards ruined my gorgeous, ruggedly handsome face. I just can't let them get away with that, now can I Tonksy?" he replied, winking at her and making you all laugh.<br>"Kingsy and Tonksy? You two are using pet names now, huh?" you inquired, raising a curious eyebrow at the two of them. Kingsley blushed a little and Tonks proceeded to punch you playfully in the arm.  
>"That is enough out of you now, Darcy! I always said this girl had a mouth too big for her brain," Kingsley declared, trying to avoid the embarrassing situation. "Mr. Weasley is ready to see you lot now," he announced to the group and everyone began to follow him down the small, white hallway.<p>

The four of you followed Kingsley down the hall for some time. They were keeping Mr. Weasley toward the back of the hospital, so he was safer and could be guarded easier. Kingsley was walking rather swiftly for someone who had just been attacked and you were finding it kind of hard to keep up. "Jeez, even beat up you are faster than me," you muttered jokingly.  
>"Then we are just going to have to whip you into shape once you graduate, eh Darcy? I am going to have to personally ask Dumbledore to sign me up as boot camp instructor for the new Order members this year," he said.<br>"Oh Merlin... We aren't going to be able to move once you are done with us," Draco laughed.  
>A smile spread across Kingsley's lips, "Ah yes- this is going to be fun," he sighed.<br>"Yeah, maybe for you," Harry said, rolling his eyes.

The seven of you stopped in front of room number two thousand and eighty-seven. In front of it stood Sturgis Podmore and Remus Lupin, both with their wands at ready. "Looks like we have got some visitors for the Minister, Remus!" Sturgis exclaimed when he saw you arrive. He was a middle-aged man who was already nearly bald. He was somewhat overweight, pleasantly plump as some would say, and had a charming smile, pale green eyes, and distinctively raspy, booming voice.  
>"Ah- but can they be trusted? What is the password?" the former DATDA professor, Remus Lupin, inquired good-humoredly. Lupin was a pale, lean man of medium height who wore shabby, tattered robes. He was a very handsome man despite the scars that adorned his face from his monthly transformations into a werewolf. He had cheerful, golden brown eyes, a boyish smile, and scruffy auburn hair flecked with gray.<br>"Oh damn, what was that password again?" Kingsley exclaimed, pretending to look thoughtful. "Oh yes- I remember it now! _Snivellus_," Kingsley whispered the last part so Professor Snape, who was currently standing just a few feet away, could not hear him. The three of them laughed wholeheartedly, as did the rest of you.  
>"Very clever! You-Know-Who is never going to guess that one," Luna commended them and they all grinned like schoolboys who had just gotten an 'O' on their Transfiguration essay.<p>

"Unfortunately mates, I can only let two of you in at a time," Remus said, becoming a tad more serious. "We don't want it to get too crowded in there, so which of you little buggers would like to go in first?"  
>"Hey! I don't appreciate <em>the little buggers<em> comment, mate," you stated, crossing your arms in front of your chest and narrowing your eyes at him.  
>He laughed, "Well then you can go last Darcy," he retorted, "And your little boyfriend too," he added in a high-pitched, nasally tone that sounded like the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. '<em>He must have been watching muggle movies..<em>' you thought to yourself as he ushered both you and Draco into two of the plush, royal blue waiting room seats. "Potter how about you go in first? Oh and you too Race, Dumbledore wants to ask you about something I think," Remus decided and Sturgis granted the two of them admittance.

"So I see that you and Raven are getting along just _swimmingly_ then, huh?" you said to Luna, who had taken the seat beside of you to wait her turn. Though you had tried to hide it, there was undoubtedly a note of coldness in your tone, but she scarcely seemed to pick up on it.  
>"Yeah, I suppose we are," she agreed, smiling from ear to ear. "He is just so damn funny, I can't get over how much he makes me laugh," she chuckled.<br>"What about Harry? I mean you two are still okay, right?" you asked.  
>"Of course we are!" she exclaimed suddenly looking worried. "I mean I think we are okay at least, why? Did he say something to you?" she questioned, almost sounding frantic.<br>"Whoa! Slow down there sparky!" you calmed her down a little, "It is just that well- you have been spending a whole lot of time with Raven for the past month or so," you stated, raising an eyebrow at her. "Did you seriously not realize Harry was getting pissed off?"  
>She let out an annoyed, grumbling noise at this inquiry. "It is just so damn hard to tell with him nowadays!" she said, "I mean he used to have happy days and then not so happy days, it was easy to tell when he was angry. Now- now he is just so distant from everyone. It is hard, you know? Sometimes he tells me he wants to just be left alone, actually most of the time he just wants to be left alone," she muttered, sounding a little bitter about the whole thing. "I love him, I really do Anna, but sometimes I don't know if he still loves me anymore," she admitted, "I never know when he needs me and when he doesn't. Or if he even needs me at all anymore," she sighed, running her fingers through her long, golden hair.<br>"He needs you now," Draco answered and the two of you jumped, both of you were had been unaware he was listening to the conversation. "He is pushing you away, because he needs you," Draco stated matter-of-factly.  
>"That's right," Blaise agreed and the two of you jumped again, you didn't know he had been listening either.<br>"Jeez, we need to work on our whispering skills Loony. It seems like some of our friends our eavesdroppers," you said, shooting Draco and Blaise peeved looks. They both just shrugged and smiled sheepishly in apology.  
>"But we are right you know," Draco said, "He is just kind of testing you. He only wants to make sure you are really there for him I think."<br>"Yeah, because he definitely still cares for you. It is always Luna this, Luna that... Did you notice the way the sun hits Luna's hair? Luna has such a pretty smile!" Blaise imitated, "Sometimes I just want to slap him upside the head!" he laughed and Luna smiled slightly, looking relieved.

A few moments later Raven exited the room, but Harry wasn't behind of him. "Dumbledore said it was okay for Harry to stay inside," Raven explained to the two guards of the doorway and they both nodded.  
>"Okay kiddies, who is next?" Sturgis inquired.<br>"We are eighteen years old, we hardly pass as kiddies anymore," you spoke up, looking slightly irked.  
>"Well apparently Anna doesn't want to go in yet then. Lovegood and Zabini, you two can head on in," Sturgis stated, winking at you as he let them inside. You crossed your arms in front of your chest and let of an exasperated huff.<p>

"We are never going to get in there if you keep pissing off the guards, love," Draco joked with you, ruffling up your hair a little as he did.  
>"Well if the guards weren't such grumpy, <em>old<em> buttheads-" you began, but were quickly cut off.  
>"Watch it Darcy, I don't think that you want to finish that sentence," Lupin warned. "Sturgis and I don't appreciate comments like the one you were just about to make and you don't want to be here all day now do you."<br>"No I suppose not. Sorry for disturbing you," you said in a falsely sweet voice and faking a smile. You turned away from them to face Draco and muttered something to yourself that could clearly be deciphered as "_miserable little buggers..._"

About a half hour passed by. Draco, Raven, and yourself just sat around talking with each other about trivial things such as the newest broomstick models, the last Hogsmeade trip coming up that weekend, and who Raven should ask to the upcoming 'End of the Year Ball' that was being thrown exclusively for the sixth and seventh years during the last week of school; although it was permitted for younger students to attend if they were invited by an older date. "I just hope I can actually go to this dance," you said, "I think I was tied up in a dungeon with a rather _annoying_ guard for the last one," you commented, smirking at Raven.  
>"I resent that Darcy," he stated, "I was a very good guard! But anyways, I have never actually been to a dance before, so I am pretty excited about it. I am going to need dress robes though, because I don't own any. And who should I ask to accompany me?" he sighed thoughtfully.<br>"Well that shouldn't be a tough one for you, mate. You have got at least half the female population at Hogwarts swooning over you," you teased. "And as for dress robes, Draco don't you have a ton of extra sets?" you asked.  
>"Sure do," he responded, "My dad bought me at least a dozen of them. Pureblood families insist on having a stupid party every goddamn night. We had a bloody ball at my house when I lost my first tooth," he said, rolling his eyes.<br>Raven laughed, "Yeah tell me about it. I have been to so many balls that I can't even count anymore. And the worst thing about them was my parents were always try to set me up with the most horribly dull pureblood girls on the face of this earth. But as long as they had money, _they are just absolutely perfect for you Racey_!" he mimicked his mother in a high-pitched voice. "There was this one girl, Gertrude Dorian that they just kept pushing on me even while I was dating Colette. I swear this girl made Millicent Bullstrode look like a veela!" he said in all seriousness, and both you and Draco flinched a little at the thought. "And all she could talk about was how much money she had and how perfect and respectable her father was, even though he beat the crap out of her and her mother. I think that is when I realized how idiotic the whole '_I am a pureblood, so I am better than you_' scene was," he said.  
>Both you and Draco nodded just as you heard the hospital room door swing open again. Luna, Harry, and Blaise all emerged through it. Luna and Harry disappeared down one of the side hallways hand in hand after telling Lupin they were going to get some tea and you smiled knowing that those two were still okay, it restored your hope slightly. "Okay then- I guess it is finally your turn Darcy," Lupin affirmed, "Go on in," he motioned for you and Draco. The two of you stood up and you grasped his hand tightly in yours, before walking through the door to see your wounded Minister of Magic.<p> 


	72. Chapter 72

When you walked in you initially saw a woman lying the bed first of two beds. She looked like a firm lady with a strong chin and hard gray eyes. Her shoulder-length dark brown hair was thrown up in a tight bun, her lips were pursed, and she wore a very serious expression as she conversed with Professor Dumbledore and a few other Order or Ministry members that were gathered around her bed. She wore a pair of thin-rimmed glassed on the tip of her nose; a gold chain to keep them from falling was attached to the ends. Compared to Kingsley she was considerably more injured, but it didn't seem to be bothering her in the least. Then beside her bed you noticed a friend of yours, who looked like a miniature version of the older woman, sitting in an armchair with her legs crossed, also listening to Dumbledore's words. It was Susan Bones, which automatically told you the woman in the bed was none other than Amelia Bones, the woman who helped get Harry acquitted during his trial at the beginning of fifth year. "Hey Susan!" you greeted her in a friendly manner and she smiled when she saw you, waving back.

Draco waved to her as well, before you continued your journey toward the second bed where a horde of redheads had gathered around. "This _must_ be Mr. Weasley's bed," you chuckled quietly in Draco's ear.  
>"Oh Anna!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed when she caught sight of you walking over. Her skin was considerably paler than usual, her eyes were bloodshot, and her usually tidy hair was unkempt and disheveled. '<em>She must have had a long night,<em>' you thought sorrowfully to yourself. But even with all that was going on she still smiled warmly at you and pulled you into one of her suffocating hugs. "Oh and Draco too! How are you dear?" she greeted, pulling him into a hug as well, which seemed to catch him by surprise. You smiled contentedly as you watched the scene in front of you; Draco was really beginning to become part of the family.

"ANNA!" two male voices chorused and before you knew it, you had been pulled into a tight group hug with the two Weasley twins. "How have you been?", "Have you pulled any good pranks on Snape?", "Did you get those supplies we sent you?" they asked energetically. But as soon as one finished asking a question, the other just spat another one out.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down you two. You are going to give the poor girl a heart attack pouncing on her like that!" Charlie Weasley exclaimed, with a bright smile on his face. He was handsome like all the Weasley boys pretty much were. He had a slightly rounded face covered with freckles, the traditional bright blue eyes, and fiery red hair that slightly longer than the twins', but not nearly as long as Bill's.  
>"Don't worry about it Charlie!" you laughed, "I am used to it by now," you said. "I am doing great- No, I haven't pulled any pranks recently-" you began to answer their questions and they both frowned when you told them about the lack of troublemaking lately. "Don't worry, I am just saving up for one last final bang before I leave Hogwarts for good," you assured them, with a devilish grin that seemed to please them. "And yes I did get those supplies, but I wouldn't let your mother overhear you are sending me free samples," you whispered.<br>"Aye! She has got a point there, mate! You'd think now that we are adults we wouldn't have to worry about our mother catching us anymore," Fred said.  
>"You'd think that see- but my mum is a right scary woman when she means to be," George added and you giggled. They were two of the most hilarious people you had ever met and spending more time with them was one of the few things you were looking forward to when you were finally forced to leave Hogwarts.<p>

After your greeting you walked over to the bed that Bill was standing beside and Ginny and Ron were sitting on the edge of. There on the bed laid an extremely tired and shaken up Arthur Weasley. Some perspiration dripped from his forehead, his hair was tousled and unkempt, and there was long cut extending from upper left corner of his forehead, over his nose, and then finally ending near the bottom right corner of his chin area. "Good morning Anna, Draco! It is good to see you two doing well," he smiled when he saw you. "Thanks for coming to visit little old me," he chuckled.  
>"Of course we came to visit! We were worried about you Mr. Weasley," you responded, taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside of Ron. Draco walked up and stood beside you, resting his hand on your shoulder. "And I have been worried about you too, how are you doing?" you asked Ron, with concern shining in your eyes.<br>"Better," he answered, "Now that I know he is going to live," he explained.  
>You nodded and smiled at him, patting him on the back. "So what happens now?" you asked, curiosity overcoming you. "Are you still going to be Minister?"<br>"Well unfortunately Miss Darcy, I can't do too much locked up in a hospital room like this and I might be in here for awhile. So I am going to have to appoint a new Minister or Dumbledore will have too I guess," He answered.  
>"Already done Arthur, don't you worry," Dumbledore replied and you all jumped at his sudden appearance.<p>

"Who is it going to be?" Ron blurted out quickly; you could tell he was nervous about it being one of his older brothers to take Arthur's place. Judging by the fearful faces on Bill and Charlie's face, it seemed that they did as well.  
>"Don't worry Ronald, it is not a Weasley this time," Dumbledore answered and every member of the family took a deep sigh of relief. "Miss Amelia Bones will be filling in for you Arthur, her injuries are much more minor and she has already accepted the offer," he said.<br>"Amelia? Oh she will do a fine job," Arthur answered, smiling from ear to ear.  
>"I am glad you think so Arthur!" the woman on the other side of the curtain called out and everyone laughed a little. You could tell by all the faces around you they were relieved to see Mr. Weasley out of such a dangerous position even if it only was for a temporary amount of time.<p>

"Okay then, well you children better be getting back to school," Mrs. Weasley stated "Now say your goodbyes and be off with you!"  
>"But mum... I want to stay here," Ginny whined and Ron put on a pair of puppy dog eyes.<br>"Oh no you don't! Your father is just fine and there is no need for you to be missing classes, you can visit again over the weekend if you want. But you better get some studying in beforehand Ronald Weasley. Your N.E. are coming up in just two weeks and you better do well or so help me-" she started to lecture, but she was cut off.  
>"Relax Molly... you are going to scare the poor kids half to death," Mr. Weasley laughed. "Do your best and study hard, and that goes for all of you," he said, shooting you and Draco looks as well. "A lot of your future will depend upon your results on this test, so it is really important to do well," he said.<br>"Erm- no offense Mr. Weasley, but you just scared me more than Mrs. Weasley did," you chuckled.  
>He smiled, "Don't you worry Anna. I am sure that you will do just fine," he stated.<p>

The group of you returned back to Hogwarts around noontime. Morning classes had been cancelled on account of most of the professors being at St. Mungo's. After eating lunch you all went through the daily routine of classes without anything out of the ordinary happened. Things didn't get interesting until later that night...

"I hate these stupid Occlumency lessons," Draco mumbled irritably, as you and he walked down the hall hand in hand with Harry at your other side.  
>"Tell me about it. And I have been going through it longer than the both of you," Harry responded. "Snape has seen some things that I didn't want any professors to see."<br>You cocked an eyebrow at him, "Has he seen you and Luna?" you asked with a smirk.  
>"Loads of times! It is bloody humiliating! Last lesson he saw one of me and her on Valentine's Day... I swear I think I am scarred for life," he sighed.<br>You and Draco laughed, "He hasn't been able to get anything way to embarrassing about me. There have been some flashes of Draco here and erm- Oliver sometimes," you said awkwardly and you noticed Draco grip your hand a little tighter at the name, "But I manage to get rid of them before he can see anything _intense_," you chuckled. "He mostly just sees my days living with the Darcy's," you finished, just as you reached to door of Snape's office. "Well boys... here we go again," you grumbled, before swinging the door open.

Professor Snape was standing inside scribbling something on a piece of parchment, but he immediately stopped and tucked it away in his drawer when he saw the three of you enter the room. "You are five minutes late," he sneered, standing up and grabbing his wand off the table. None of you even bothered to respond to the remark; even if you were early he would have still accused you of being five minutes late. "Who wants to be the first victim tonight?" he inquired.  
>"Well I went first last time," Draco piped up quickly.<br>"And I went second, so-" Harry began, looking over at you.  
>"So I have been elected first victim this week," you muttered, "Well it is your turn next week Potter and don't think that I will forget it," you promised.<p>

"Alright then Darcy, I really hope that you have been practicing this week, because I am not going to go easy on you tonight," he warned.  
>"Do you ever go easy on me, sir?" you responded cheerfully, but you couldn't help but get a little nervous at his warning. You had forgotten to practice all week with the stress of N.E. slowly weighing down on you and weren't sure if you be able to fight him off as well tonight. He narrowed his eyes at you and then whipped his wand out in front of him. "You know the drill Darcy, get into the ready position," he stated and you pulled your own wand out and prepared from him break into your mind. "Legimens!" you heard him yell, but that was the last thing heard, because then everything went black. Then suddenly memories you never wanted anyone to see, not even Draco, began to flash in front of you...<p> 


	73. Chapter 73

_A young girl stood cowering the corner of the large, spacious room. Her wavy dirty blonde hair was a mess and tears were pouring from her honey brown eyes. She looked scared... no, terrified would be more precise. Her tiny body was shaking from head to toe as the pounding sound of footsteps drew closer and closer. "Where are you little Anna?" a voice called out in a venomous tone. "Come out, come out wherever you are. Your new mommy has a surprise for you," the malicious voice called again and suddenly she appeared. She was a tall, lanky blonde woman with a pale complexion and cold black eyes. A vicious, maniacal smile was spread across her face and her fists were clenched tightly at her side as she drew closer and closer to the trembling little girl._

_Then it disappeared... again a young Anna appeared, but this time she was out in the backyard and looked a good deal skinnier than she had before. She looked almost skeletal in fact and large, dark circles occupied the space under her eyes. "Pick the roses! I am throwing a party tomorrow and they would make a lovely centerpiece, wouldn't they?" the same blonde woman from before demanded.  
>"B-but the- the thorns miss..." the little girl stuttered out, looking apprehensively at the flowers. "Couldn't you just use magic, mam?"<br>At this suggestion the blonde woman rose swiftly from her lawn chair and grabbed Anna by the hair. "What did I bloody tell you about talking back to me?" she hissed in her ear. "Now pick the damn flowers or you will go another night without dinner!" she threatened, before whipping her into the rose bush. The little Anna cried out in pain as the thorns pierced her skin and tore the shabby, little jumper she had been wearing. Once again the tears fell from her eyes as the blood began to pour from her wounds._

_Another flash... Anna was older now, probably closer to seven years old. She sat atop a small bed in the corner of a dingy, squalid basement that reeked of melancholy. Bruises covered her arms and legs, though you could not see one on her face. Silently she played with a small, torn doll as she hummed quietly to herself. "Now where on earth did you get that?" a voice whispered from the shadows of the cellar and Anna jumped back instinctively behind the bed and pushed the doll behind her back, but it was too late now. "I thought I said no toys little Anna, I thought I told you a Lestrange deserves no toys. Didn't I say that Anna?" the blonde woman appeared again and Anna nodded her head rapidly, not making eye contact with her. "Your parents were evil people and you are evil too, remember that," she spat, knocking the girl hard in the stomach. "You look just like your father," the woman spat, before grabbing Anna by her dirty blonde hair and throwing her from the bed. "I will be taking this," she chuckled ripping the doll away._

"STOP IT!" you screamed at the top of your lungs, as bitter tears stung your eyes. Slowly Snape's dark office lined with various potion bottles came back into view. Your breathing was rapid and uneven. You grabbed your chest and noticed that you had collapsed down to your knees. Beside of you Draco and Harry both sat in their chairs looking horrorstruck, there eyes as wide as searchlights. As you laid back against the wall to try and calm yourself down you noticed Professor Snape staring intently at you. His skin had been drained of all its color and a look of utter alarm and disturbance shone unmistakably in his brown eyes. Draco who had finally regained his ability to move jumped suddenly from his seat and knelt down beside you taking your hand in his and squeezing it tightly.

"What did you to do her?" Draco hissed angrily, hugging your shaking body close to his.  
>Snape did not answer he just continued to stare at you with a fathomless expression upon his face. "He didn't do anything," you whispered almost inaudibly.<br>"Yes- yes I did," he responded, snapping back into reality at your words. "Malfoy, Potter get out of here. You are free to go," he told the two boys sternly.  
>"I am not going without Anna," Draco proclaimed, "She needs to go to the hospital wing, she is as pale as a ghost," he protested further.<br>"I need to talk with Miss Darcy now please do as I say and _leave_," Snape ordered.  
>"It is okay Draco, really I am fine," you assured him gently. He gave you an '<em>are-you-sure<em>' look and you nodded to him in answer. Reluctantly he stood up and helped you stand as well.  
>"I will be waiting for you right down the hall," he promised, kissing you lightly on the forehead before finally exiting the office with Harry following behind him.<p>

"What is it that I just saw?" Snape asked, as soon at the two of you were alone.  
>"My wonderful childhood," you said bitterly, "I have never told anyone about those days."<br>"I- I don't understand. That was Roberta Carlisle, wasn't it?" he inquired.  
>"Yeah that was her name. She hated me from the moment the people at the orphanage told her my name, but she hid that from them. Supposedly my father killed her husband, so how could she pass up the chance to torture his offspring?" you muttered. "She kept telling me that I was evil, so much that I started to believe she was right. It was hell on earth in that bloody house for me," you admitted, wiping the tears with the sleeve of your cloak.<p>

Then a look of sudden comprehension appeared on his face. "She was your first foster parent before the Darcy's," he stated and you nodded slowly. "Oh bloody hell... she tortured you. She tortured a little girl," he whispered, sinking down into his chair.  
>"It really wasn't that bad," you said, "I am sure other children go through much worse," you added. Your first statement wasn't entirely true however; those days would still haunt your dreams and thoughts sometimes. Her sneering, vengeful face would suddenly appear and her spiteful laugh would ring clearly in your ears.<br>"It is all my fault you had to go through that," he said, running fingers through his hair. "I had no idea that you went through that- I would have- I would have never given you up if I had known. Even a life on the run would have been better than what I just saw," he continued.  
>"It is not your fault and I certainly don't blame you," you assured him, you didn't want him to hold himself responsible for that horrible woman's behavior. If it was anyone's fault is was the people who put you in that household in the first place knowing the less than pleasant history between the Carlisle and the Lestrange families...<p>

"No- no, it _is_ my fault," he said again, standing up from his chair and beginning to pace. "I am so sorry," he spoke quietly, looking nervously up at you. "I should have begged Dumbledore to let me keep you, I should have known better than to trust those sots at the orphanage! How many years were you forced to live in that house?" he questioned.  
>"Six years, sir. When she got remarried she moved away to Peru I think and that is when the Darcy family took me in," you answered.<br>"Six years? Six bloody years of _that_? Oh- I am not going to be able to sleep for weeks," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair once more. "If you would have been my daughter that never would have happened, I would have treated you like a young girl should be treated! Six years!" he exclaimed again, now pacing back and forth furiously.  
>"It was hard and I don't look back fondly on the memories," you admitted, "But now it is in the past," you told him firmly, "And whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right?" you stated.<br>"You should not have had to go through that! No one should!" he declared angrily.  
>"Maybe not, but I did and I am stronger for it," you responded firmly. "Please don't blame yourself for other people's mistakes. I know you couldn't keep me, I understand. And Anna Snape doesn't exactly roll of the tongue, you know? '<em>Detention Snape<em>' just does not sound as catchy as '_detention Darcy_'!" you joked, trying desperately to lighten the mood.  
>He sighed and even let a little chuckle escape your lips. "You are truly an extraordinary girl, Miss Darcy," he said, smiling at you and you smiled back, "Has anyone ever told you that Darcy?"<br>"Oh all the time!" you replied, "But I never mind hearing it again," you added, with a wink.

"And uh- it's Anna," you said and he gave you a peculiar look. "Call me Anna," you said again, "I mean you are my godfather, right? Most godfathers don't call their godchildren by their last names," you chuckled.  
>At first he looked like he was in complete shock at your words, but slowly his expression began to soften. "No, I suppose they don't <em>Anna<em>," he laughed quietly.  
>"Well- I erm- I should go, Draco is waiting for me out in the hall," you explained.<br>"Yes- yes of course. I am sure he is quite worried about you," he agreed. "You really love him don't you?" he questioned, just as you placed your hand on the doorknob. You stopped short and turned to face him, looking very taken aback by his sudden, blunt inquiry.  
>Once you regained your composure you replied, "Yeah, I really do." A smile spread across your face as you said this and your cheeks flush slightly pink.<br>"True love is a rare and extraordinary thing Anna, that very few in this world are so fortunate as to find. And even if they are so lucky to find it, so many people just throw it all away over silly means. Don't throw it away Anna. Things will get rough and they'll get rocky, it is pretty much a requirement when it comes to relationships," he laughed, "But if you try, you will get through it. Just remember how much you love him," he finished, with a heavy sigh.

You looked at him curiously, not believing your ears. Was this man speaking so eloquently in front of you really Severus Snape, the cold, heartless Potions professor? There was something about the way he spoke that intrigued you even more. It was almost like he spoke from personal experience, but then again you knew very little about the mysterious man in front of you hidden behind a sneering mask. "Were you in love once?" the words spilled out before you could stop them.  
>He didn't look up from the paper that was resting on his desk. "It was a long time ago," he responded, staring dazedly off into the nothingness as if something or someone was there only he could see. "Now I live a lonely life," he sighed, "Don't let it slip away Anna, because you will regret forever," he finished. "Now you really should go, I am sure Mr. Malfoy has gone insane by this point," he smiled, but there was pain in his eyes.<br>You nodded and forced a small grin, "Thank you for this. You really aren't as bad as everyone thinks, you know," you commented.  
>He chuckled, "Just don't tell the other students, it would totally ruin my image," he joked.<br>You laughed too, "Your secret is safe with me," you promised. "Well- Goodnight Professor and if you ever want to talk about- you know... I have two ears and they both work pretty well," you told him.  
>"And the same goes for you," he responded, patting you on the shoulder somewhat awkwardly, "Goodnight." And with that you slipped through the door and down the hall where the man you loved was waiting for you...<p> 


	74. Chapter 74

"Hey Anna, are you alright?" Draco asked concernedly, when you finally reached him.  
>"Yeah, I'm fine," you answered honestly, with a small grin on your face. You weren't exactly sure why, but you felt a great deal better now than you did before you went in for your Occlumency lesson. Maybe it was, because you had finally revealed your old childhood secret to someone. Not even Dumbledore or any of your friends were aware of it. It wasn't that you didn't trust them, it was more you were scared of having to relive something so horrible. The easiest thing was to keep it bottled up inside, but you had to admit it now felt like a huge weight had been removed from your chest. Part of you was wondering why you felt you could trust Snape so well with your secret. There was just something about him that told you he had gone through a lot in his life too and that somehow he understood...<p>

Draco smiled back at you and pulled you into a tight hug. "I was so worried about you. What memories did Snape see? You looked really shaken up," he commented. You nervously bit your bottom lip and looked up into his penetrating blue orbs. It was evident in his eyes that he loved you and that he truly wanted to know what had gotten you so upset. You trusted him with your life and weren't about to lie to him.  
>"I- I-" you stuttered out, not sure how to start out. "Let's go somewhere and talk for awhile okay? Just where I would feel more comfortable," you explained. If you were going to divulge this part of your past to him you would rather do it somewhere comfortable and private rather than in the middle of a dark and dreary dungeon hallway.<br>"Okay, sure," he said, quickly taking his hand in yours and leading you down the hallway. "How about the Room of Requirement? It is raining, so the tower might not be the best idea," he chuckled softly.  
>"I love the rain actually," you responded, with a sort of twinkle in your eyes. It was a little peculiar, but ever since you were young you had always loved the rain even more than you liked sunny weather. The only nights you really ever got a completely peaceful sleep was when it was raining outside.<br>He smirked, "Then the tower it is!" he declared, sweeping you up into his arms and tossing you over shoulder, so your stomach was bent over his shoulder. Not the most romantic way to carry you, but kind of cute all the same.

"Must you insist on carrying me this way?" you questioned, as he walked up the winding tower stairs.  
>"<em>Mhmm<em>," he replied, "I thought you might like a free ride," he chuckled and you rolled your eyes at him even though he couldn't see it.

When you reached the circular room at the very top of the Astronomy tower he finally, at long last, set you back down on to your feet. It was nearly pitch black, seeing as it was probably a little past midnight at this point, but Draco quickly lit his wand so you could see around you. On this night the stars in the sky were covered up by the dark gray storm clouds looming over the Hogwarts castle. Rain poured from these clouds and the pounding of it could be heard hitting the roof above you. A cool, summer wind was rushing through the glassless openings in the walls that encircled the room and blew your wavy, brown tresses gently in front of your face.

Draco wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his hands softly on your lower back pulling you close to him, so you could hear each other over the noise of the rain echoing around you. "So what is it that you wanted to tell me?" he asked, resting his forehead on yours.  
>"I have never told anyone about my early childhood until tonight when Snape saw it," you sighed and you knew he could sense the sadness in your voice. He shuffled a little uneasily, but never broke your gaze. "See when my parents were taken away to Azkaban I was put into an orphanage until they could find a family willing to take me in. A lady named Roberta Carlisle had lost her husband awhile ago to a Death Eater, my father to be more exact-" you paused and took a deep breath.<br>"Go on, I am listening," he said sweetly, tucking a loose strand of your hair behind your ear.  
>"Well she was looking for a child to sort of fill the loneliness she now had in her life and they told her about me. Of course it was a risk, because I was the daughter of the man she hated with a passion for obvious reasons. They thought though that somehow we could form a bond or something like that, because we were both basically screwed over by the Lestranges. It didn't exactly turn out that way though," you mumbled out, "She hated me for being my father's child and it didn't exactly help I was the spitting image of him. But she took me in anyways, so in some sick, twisted way she could get her revenge on my family. She beat me and tortured me by withholding food and anything that I could actually use to amuse myself. I don't want to go into the details, but for six years of my life I was in a child's hell... until I found the Darcy's," you finished, lowering your eyes away from his as the tears began to well up again. You didn't want him to see you cry for some reason.<p>

"Are you serious?" he whispered, "She tortured you?" He sounded in complete disbelief at your story.  
>"I was so young then..." you whispered, "I was only a toddler when she took me in. It honestly blows me away how she could treat a child like that and how she could blame me for something one of my parents did!" you ranted, all the anger that you felt was spilling out.<br>"Oh Merlin Anna, I had no idea. I never even asked who you were with before the Darcy's... I am so sorry. I- I can't believe you had to go through that," he said quietly, pulling you into one of the tightest hugs he had ever given you during your time together. "I mean my parents weren't exactly saints, but they never did something like that to me when I was younger," he whispered. "_Shh_, baby please don't cry," he pleaded, lifting up your chin with his hand. He wiped away the tears from your cheeks gently with him thumb and stroked your hair. "It is over now and I will never let anyone do that to you again, do you understand?" he asked you firmly and you nodded in reply.

"You know that I love you, right Draco?" you asked, seemingly out of the blue.  
>He smiled at your question, "Of course, but it never hurts to hear it again," he replied. "And you know how much I love you right?" he repeated your question.<br>"Of course- but it never hurts to hear it again," you mimicked, wiping away the last of your tears and wrapping your arms around his neck.  
>"Well then I will say it again. I love you Anna Darcy, with all my heart and I will never love another like I love you," he promised, placing his arms around your waist again.<br>"I know that we are so young, but I just- I just feel like _this_ is right," you sighed.  
>"I do too," he responded, playfully nuzzling your neck and making you giggle. "Sometimes I wonder what I did in my past life to make me deserve someone like you," he laughed. You smiled at his romantic comment and pushed yourself up on your tiptoes to plant a soft yet sensual kiss upon his lips.<p>

You slowly pulled away and smirked at him. "Oh woman, you can't kiss me like that and then pull away," he said breathlessly, running his fingers through your hair and looking at you longingly.  
>"Why? It's kind of fun to be a tease sometimes," you said playfully.<br>"Not for the one you are teasing, it's not," he countered, giving you his best pouty face.  
>"<em>Aww<em>- well how can I resist such an adorable face," you sighed, pinching his cheek jokingly. "Come here and give Anna a kiss," you chuckled and he leaned down to press his lips firmly up against yours. Pleasant chills shot through your body as his hands began to trace slowly over your hips along the hemline of your pants. He kissed your bottom lip and you felt your knees getting weak below you. You felt his tongue brush up against your lips and you willingly let it enter your mouth. Your hands ran over his toned chest and down to his waist where you grabbed the bottom of his shirt and slowly lifting it up over his head, breaking your kisses for only a moment. As you tossed the shirt aside he slowly began to unbutton yours and as he did his lips traveled down your neck and on to your collarbone making you gasp with bliss. When the final button had come undone he let it fall to the floor by your feet and he began to work on the buttons of your pants. Goosebumps covered your skin and you weren't sure if it was the summer breeze hitting your now bare skin or the feeling of just being there with Draco and the feeling of his lips against yours... but you had a feeling it was the second one.

The two of you huddled under Draco's robes and slowly began to drift off into a peaceful sleep. Your head was resting comfortably on his chest and his strong arms were holding you tightly against him. His slow, steady breathing and the soothing sound of the rain were combining together to form a hypnotizing lullaby.

"Anna..." Draco whispered, just before you sacrificed yourself to sleep.  
>"Yes, Draco?" you replied, just as quietly. You lifted your head from his chest and looked him in the eyes.<br>"You are the most amazing person that I have ever known in my life and I- I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I can't even try to picture myself with anyone else other than you. I love you Anna, you have captivated me in a way that I never thought anyone could," and your heart skipped a beat at his loving words. "I erm- I wasn't expecting to do this- well, actually I was, but not so soon," he began nervously, "But I just don't think I can wait another minute. I don't have a ring yet, because my father financially cut me off, but as soon as I start making some money I will buy you one as beautiful as you are," he said and suddenly you knew what was coming. You were now wide-awake and your head was spinning; your voice had left you, and you were even having trouble breathing at this point. "Anna Darcy, will you- will you marry me?"


	75. Chapter 75

Oh Merlin..." were the words that finally escaped your lips after nearly ten minutes of utter silence. "Oh wow..." you whispered, your eyes were as wide as saucers.  
>Draco smirked, but there was nervous expression on his face that he could not cover up. "Does that um- does that mean yes or no?" he asked tentatively.<br>"I- I-" you began to mumble nervously and then he pressed a finger to your lips and looked you straight in the eyes. Why was this so hard for you? You knew that you loved Draco and even though you were in fact very young something in your heart told you he was the one that you would spend the rest of your life with. All the engagement meant was promising to love him for the rest of your life and that was a promise you were more than ready to make. But then again you were only eighteen! _Eighteen_! You hadn't even graduated from Hogwarts yet! Neither of you had a job and between you there probably wasn't even enough between you to rent out the shabby, attic apartment on top of the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade. You were both completely unaware of what the future held... you had no plan at all. Getting married was crazy right? '_You are starting to sound like Hermione!_' you told yourself suddenly. A plan? Since when did Anna Darcy, Miss Spontaneous, ever need plan before?  
>"Only say yes if you really want to," he said kindly, "I am not going to force you into anything that you aren't ready for yet," he added and you looked directly into his eyes as if you were searching for his soul. They were so beautiful. Their color, the way they shone even in the darkness, and all the passion and love they held inside of them. And all that passion and love, that was all yours... '<em>I love him and that is all that matters<em>'.  
>You smiled, "Of course I will marry you Draco Malfoy," you finally replied, tears pouring from your eyes for the second time that night. "Merlin, I never cry! Look what you are doing to me," you chuckled, trying to wipe them away. He smiled broadly at you and pulled you tightly into his arms, rocking you ecstatically back and forth. "You just made me the happiest man on earth," he stated, stroking your cheek gently, before he crashed his lips up against yours with such eagerness that it took your breath away. His tongue pushed into your mouth and danced with yours as his hands roamed freely over your body, outlining your every little curve, sending a pleasant shiver shooting up your spine. You could feel how much he loved you as he pushed your body up against his. Your hands did some roaming themselves as they traveled over the muscular intricacies of his toned, bare body. "You- are- amazing-" he gasped out when you both finally pulled away.<p>

"I'm glad that you are happy," you said honestly, running your fingers gently through his hair as you always loved to. The two of you were once more wrapped up together under his clock, your bare bodies huddling together for warmth. "A few years ago I never would have imagined being here with you," you said dreamily, "Then that first day of sixth year, you had an effect on me Draco like no other boy ever had."  
>"You had an effect on me since the moment I met you. I remember back in first year when I first laid eyes on you. You were a short, gangly thing with frizzy dirty blonde hair, big, bright honey eyes, and a loud mouth," he reminisced, "I pushed you out of the way on the first day, remember?" he questioned.<br>You laughed, "And I told you to watch it, blondie!" you remembered. "Then you turned around to yell at me, but you stopped- you were just about to say something, but then McGonagall showed up I think. What were you going to say?" you asked curiously.  
>A thoughtful expression came on his face as he searched for the answer, "I was going- I think I was going to say sorry..." he whispered.<p>

The sun began to gradually rise from behind the horizon as the morning came. "We spent the whole night up here," you said, with a small chuckled while lifting your head up from its current resting place on Draco's chest. "Harry and the others are going to be worried if we don't head down soon you know," you told him, with reluctance in your voice.  
>"I know..." he sighed heavily, "But do we really have to go? Can't we just stay up here for the rest of the day, I mean it is a Saturday," he pouted.<br>You smiled, "Ah- it sounds tempting, it _really_ does. But I have to study for my N.E., as do you my love. Those are rapidly approaching you know and if you are planning on buying me a rock as gorgeous as _I_ am, you better get studying, so you can get one, very high paying job Mr. Malfoy," you joked, as you slipped your clothes back on.  
>He chuckled, "Yes I suppose you are right, Mrs. Malfoy," he replied, kissing you lightly on the forehead. Your heart skipped a beat at his words...'<em>Mrs. Malfoy... Mrs. Anna Malfoy<em>,' you had to admit it did have a nice little ring to it.  
>"Mrs. Malfoy? I like it," you proclaimed, kissing him sweetly on the lips.<br>"I like it too," he smirked, before pulling you into yet another passionate kiss.

The two of you began to walk down the spiral staircase hand in hand back to yours dorms, so you could get changed for the day. "Maybe we shouldn't tell everyone about the engagement just yet," you said suddenly, even catching yourself a little bit off guard. "I mean at least not until there's a ring, we are out of school, and can actually set a date, you know?"  
>He nodded, Yeah I guess you are right- so right now it is an unofficial engagement, a promise," he stated. "But I cannot wait to make it official and tell the word I am getting married to the most beautiful girl in England," he added happily.<br>"Only in England?" you responded, raising an eyebrow jokingly at him.  
>"Did I say in England? I meant in the entire world!" he exclaimed, tossing his arms up in the air dramatically, making you giggle.<p>

"Merlin! What have you two been up to?" Ron asked suspiciously, when he spotted the two of you in the hallway. You were both still wearing your Hogwarts uniforms, which wouldn't have been so unusual if it hadn't been a Saturday. It also didn't help that your hair was a mess and you both had stupid grins plastered on your faces.  
>"Just taking a morning walk," you replied cheerfully, "What are on earth are you doing up so early Mr. Weasley?" you inquired, turning the inquisition around on to him. "I don't think I have ever seen you up before noon on a Saturday!"<br>"Oh, you know- just taking a morning walk is all!" he answered in the same cheerful voice as yours and you knew he was lying as well.  
>"You are lying to me," you stated.<br>"And you are lying to me," he countered.  
>"He has got a point there, love," Draco chuckled.<br>"Fine... this never happened, agreed?" you told him. He nodded and with a quick wink you continued to sneak back to the Ravenclaw Common Room.

It was warm, summer afternoon and the happy voices of younger students could be heard from the open library window. You were sprawled flat on your stomach on the floor in a pair of comfortable, athletic shorts, a loose black tank top, and bare feet; your sandals had disappeared somewhere among the mess around you. Your legs were draped over Draco's, who was leaning against Luna's bent knees, who in turn was leaning against one of the bookshelves. Harry and Raven were both seated at the wooden table beside of you and Ron was lying flat on his back just a few feet away. Blaise was next to Ron leaning up against the back of Harry's chair. The group of you were all buried amidst an overwhelming mountain of textbooks dealing with transfiguration all the way to potions. Crumpled up pieces of paper were strewn across the floor around you along with broken quills and empty inkbottles. At the moment you were currently concentrating hard on memorizing all the properties of green dragon's blood. Not even the voices of Luna quizzing Draco on History of Magic dates could break your absorption in the material in front of you. Only a little ways away from you Ron sat whistling to himself and drawing small doodles of dragons when in fact he was supposed to be looking over his Charms notes. Blaise on the other hand was quietly muttering Transfiguration spells and turning owl feathers into needles and books into kittens. Harry and Raven were both sitting together at the table where Raven was trying to explain to him the difference between the Invisibility potion and the Cloaking potion. You all made quite a sight to those around you and quite a mess on top of that. Whenever you looked up Madame Pince was shooting you dirty looks for cluttering up her usually immaculate library, but none of you cared. The test that would determine your future was now only a little over a week away and you were all scared shitless about not doing well on it. Whenever you walked by people could tell that you were seventh years, without even knowing who you were. The large, dark circles under your eyes, the complete lack of caring what you looked like or how you were dressed, and the mountain of books in your arms usually gave you away pretty quickly.

"Merlin- I really wish Hermione wasn't being such a prat," Harry muttered, sounding frustrated.  
>"What's the matter darling?" you inquired, looking up from your book for the first time in what must have been hours. It wasn't surprising you had gone a little near-sighted by this time.<br>"This dunderhead doesn't understand a word I say!" Raven replied for him, in a joking manner. Harry glared at him and then turned back to you with a shrug.  
>"Maybe I can help, what don't you understand?" you asked kindly, with a small, tired sigh escaping your lips.<br>"The bloody difference between a Cloaking and Invisibility potion! It does the same exact thing! They both make you invisible, so what is the point in giving them different names?" Harry asked angrily. At this question you proceeded to explain to him why in fact these potions were so unlike one another, but you could tell by the expression on his face during your entire spiel that he wasn't getting a word of it. "Oh I give up! I am hopeless... I guess I don't need to be an Auror, I can always clean brooms or something like that for a living..." he muttered, slamming the book in front of him shut.  
>"Oh hush up you drama queen! You will do just fine and you know it," Luna spoke up.<br>"Why don't you hush up Loony?" Blaise retorted, breaking into the conversation. "You are one lucky bugger, you know that? You don't even have to take the bloody test for another year!" and this seemed to silence Luna for the time being.

"I always got this stuff when Hermione explained it to me," Harry whined, a little while later.  
>"Yeah, she was good teacher," you agreed, looking up from the book again. There were pained expressions on everyone's faces, except for Raven who had never really known her as well as you all had. Ron looked especially miserable at the mention of his former love's name. You and Harry had told everyone else about what she had said to you the day Ron's father was sent to St. Mungo's and they could barely believe their ears when they heard.<p>

Then suddenly through the doors of the library, Hermione appeared as if on cue. Her hair looked like she had just stuck a knife in the toaster and her eyes were horribly bloodshot. You immediately concluded it must have been from all the late nights she stayed up studying; she was always the last one in the Common Room at night. There was grim expression on her usually very pretty face and her head was hanging down, so she was looking down at her feet. Next to her was Seamus laughing heartily with Dean Thomas and Michael Corner about something, most likely Quidditch, knowing them. "She doesn't smile anymore," you commented, as the four of them took up the table directly across the room from you.  
>"What did you say Anna?" Ron asked, relinquishing his dragon doodling.<br>"I said she doesn't smile anymore. She always looks so bloody miserable," you answered.  
>"That is, because she <em>is<em> miserable," Luna spoke up matter-of-factly. "Seamus treats her like crap and she knows it. I still can't believe she is ignoring us! I mean we are _us_," she huffed.  
>"Gah!" Ron exclaimed, slamming his notebook down. "I just want to knock that git senseless sometimes," he muttered angrily, undoubtedly referring to Seamus.<br>"Yeah- I don't think that I would mind that either," Harry stated, glaring over at the group of them.  
>"I third that motion," Draco agreed.<br>"I'm in too!" Blaise declared.  
>"Yes, we would all like to sometimes- but what would that solve?" you inquired, never being one to condone violence, especially if it was against someone on your own side.<br>"Nothing at all," Ron responded, "But I would sure as hell feel a lot better."

Another tedious hour of studying passed by and you still didn't feel any more prepared for the exam than you had before. Everything you had read just didn't seem to want to click in your head and you were beginning to get slightly aggravated with yourself. Apparently everyone around you was feeling the exact same way. Actually you were all so caught up in your schoolwork that you didn't notice a group of Slytherins slowly slithering toward you...

"Did you hear about that new seeker Ireland just signed on?" Michael questioned Seamus. "I heard he is brilliant! Well- he has got to be if he can replace a seeker like Ryan, he was pretty good himself," he added, as they walked toward the library. With these words Hermione automatically tuned out of the conversation, it was nothing that interested her anyways. Actually very rarely was she engrossed in anything that the boys talked about anymore. Instead she began to run through the ingredients of the Polyjuice potion silently inside her head. She had spent the entirety of the last two weeks studying morning to night, only taking a few short breaks for meals. At this point she was doing anything to keep her mind off her friends... or _former_ friends, as she would probably have to call them now. She hated herself for what she said to Anna and Harry that day, but now it was too late to take it back now, right?

She walked into the library with her head hanging down; the faint laughter of her boyfriend and his mates penetrated her thoughts faintly as she took a seat at the nearest table. She removed her potions book from her book bag and prepared to start studying when she saw something from the corner of her eye. Directly across the room Harry was sitting there glaring daggers at her. Ron, Anna, Draco, Blaise, and Luna also looked particularly frustrated as well and she knew she had something to do with it. Guilt tore at her stomach and she felt tears begin to sting her eyes her bloodshot caramel brown eyes. She knew if she walked over there they would most likely take her back as their friend in a heartbeat, because that is the way they were. Even if Harry and Ron weren't so forgiving, she knew Anna would convince them all to let the grudge go. The crazy, Ravenclaw girl had been her best friend for so many years and she had just left it all behind her. And Harry... he had really been the first Gryffindor to truly accept her. And then- and then there was Ron; she missed him more than words could even describe. She didn't love Seamus; she _knew_ she didn't love him. '_Then what the hell are you still doing on this side of the library?_' she asked herself, '_Just suck up your bloody pride and apologize,_' she told herself, but something held her back. Fear of how they would react kept her planted in her chair. Fear had pushed her away from them in the first place and now fear was holding her back.

Then her eyes darted over to wear a group of Slytherins had just walked in. Ruby Pickford, her latest boyfriend Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Ruby's lanky, black-haired, best friend Samara Calloway all slithered inside. They had no books with them, only their wands. That wasn't even the most suspicious thing however. It was the smirks that they were wearing on their faces and the devilish glint in their eyes that told you they were certainly up to no good. Ever so slowly they snuck up behind Anna and the rest of the group, holding their wands out in front of them. By this time they were all studying so hard, they would never notice... They were in trouble and Hermione knew it, '_I have to do something_,' she thought, pulling her wand from her robe pocket.


	76. Chapter 76

"_Ugh_!" Blaise exclaimed slamming his book shut loudly and breaking you all out of your trances. "I am never going to-" but his sentence was cut off, by a loud crash echoing from behind of you. Immediately the six of you spun around to see a very peculiar sight. A red-faced Hermione was standing there with her wand held out in front of her and a fire in her eyes that had been absent for so long. Only a few yards away one of the library tables had literally broken in half from Goyle landing on top of it. Samara sprinted over to his side to see if he was all right, while Ruby and Crabbe began to advance on Hermione with rage unmistakably radiating from them. Madame Pince had become completely oblivious to what was going on around her, because in her old age she had fallen asleep in her chair again.  
>You made the move to stand up and help her, but someone pulled you back down to your seat. "Let's just see what happens first," Luna whispered in your ear.<p>

"What in the hell did you do that for Granger?" Ruby hissed through clenched teeth. Her pale brown eyes were shining with anger behind the loose strands of her light brown hair.  
>"You- you were going to hurt them!" she declared, pointing over toward your group. "You were going to sneak up behind them. That is a pretty cowardly thing to do- attacking your enemies from behind! But then again you <em>are<em> Slytherins," she added, with a clear note of distaste in her tone.  
>"Oh you are going to pay for that one mudblood," Crabbe threatened, pounding his fist furiously. "Do you know who my father is? You will be dead before you can say <em>mudblood<em>!" You knew then that Hermione was in trouble. Even though she could probably take on the dimwitted Crabbe with ease, Ruby was another story. She just happened to be quite intelligent for her age and could easily take on even the brilliant Hermione with three other wizards backing her up; you wanted to stand up and help her, because no matter how horrible she had been lately she was still Herms... but Luna had a tight grip on your arm and the others were just sitting there looking dumbfounded.

"STUPEFY!" Ruby spat, but her spell was easily hindered by a simple blocking spell from Hermione.  
>"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Hermione countered, but Ruby gracefully stepped to her right and the spell instead made contact with Crabbe's gut. With a loud moan he fell to the ground, causing seemingly the entire library to vibrate. To your amazement still no one stood up to the aid of either side in the fight, even Seamus and his gang were just watching on with wide eyes. It was now an even battle, a duel to be more exact... Ruby Pickford vs. Hermione Granger.<p>

Jets of blue, red, purple, and pink light were shooting in every direction; knocking over whole bookshelves and obliterating the wooden tables and armchairs. Neither one had successfully hit their enemy just yet; they were both far too skilled. You could tell Ruby had been receiving training too. It would be ignorant of you not to believe that the Death Eaters had been preparing their younger, future members at Hogwarts just as the Order was currently doing. Than finally it happened...

Hermione jumped out of the way of one Ruby's hexes. In the process of getting out of the way however she tripped over the burnt remains of an Ancient Runes dictionary. It was almost as if the entire scene happened in slow motion. With a loud yelp she fell over on to the ground, dropping her wand, and making her completely vulnerable to attack. A smirk spread across Ruby's face as she lifted her wand to strike.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" you shouted, throwing Luna's arm off of you and standing up from your spot on the floor. Ruby's wand flung from her hand and right into yours. You stormed out in front of Hermione and crossed your arms heatedly in front of your chest. "Now I suggest that you all get your ugly mugs out of here before I wake up Madame Pince and have your bloody wands snapped in two. And next time why don't you have the balls to face us in a fair combat, when our backs aren't turned, eh?" you sneered to the four Slytherins, throwing Ruby's wand back at her viciously. "And I wouldn't suggest trying anything else for today dear, there is in fact seven of us and only four of you. Well more like two and half, Crabbe and Goyle don't exactly count as whole wizards, so do the math Pickford, you don't have a chance in hell," Ruby's pale eyes narrowed into two slits, before she let out a defeated huff.  
>"You will pay Darcy- <em>all<em> of you will pay! It may not be today, or tomorrow, or the next day- but the day will come, I promise you that!" she declared, before she turned on her heel to stride out of the library with her cronies close at her heels.

You rolled your eyes at her as she disappeared. "D-did you say seven of us?" Hermione asked timidly from behind of you.  
>"You heard me right Granger," you responded, fixing your eyes intently with hers. You offered her your hand and helped her up off the ground. "You just stood up for us, even if it was dangerous. I must say it seems like you don't hate us so much anymore," you added.<br>"I never hated you and I am so sorry for making you all think that I did. You are my best friends," she mumbled out quietly, looking down at her feet in shame. "I was- was just so scared, I don't even belong in Gryffindor." A small smile appeared on your face at her sincere apology. "I think you _do_ belong in Gryffindor Herms, you did just take on four able dark wizards for your friends," you responded to her last comment. "You are as brave as anyone of us," you finished, before pulling her into a tight hug. Her body tensed up at first in obvious surprise, but she quickly loosened up and hugged back just as tightly.  
>"Merlin, I missed you all," she said, a few tears breaking free from her eyes. "Do you guys forgive me too?" she asked the rest of the group.<br>"Well- that depends," Harry answered trying his best not to smile, "Can you explain to me the difference between a Cloaking potion and an Invisibility potion?" he asked. At this everyone laughed out loud, just like old times...

"I mixed them up! After all that time explaining them to Harry, I still managed to mix up the Cloaking and Invisibility potion!" Hermione exclaimed, with a panic stricken look on her face. "What if I fail the potions exam now? I will never get a good job! I AM GOING TO BE A FAILURE!" she cried dramatically, flinging her arms in the air.

You and Blaise both laughed out loud at her whining. "Oh shut up Hermione! You know you still got an Outstanding on the exam, just because you get one question wrong doesn't mean you are going to be a failure," Blaise chuckled.  
>"Well who asked you?" she retorted sharply, glaring back at him in annoyance.<br>"Really Herms, you are going to be just fine. You are the smartest bloody witch in the school, so would you just calm down already?" you added. The three of you had just finished your last N.E.W.T exam, which for you had been the Ancient Runes test. However Hermione was still complaining about the question she had gotten wrong on the Potions exam you all had taken that morning. "Now let's go to the Great Hall and get some grub! Stressing out for a month straight has given me quite an appetite," you laughed, taking both their hands and pulling them off to get some much-needed lunch.  
>"Erm- actually Anna, I promised Seamus that I would meet him for lunch outside today," Hermione said awkwardly. Even though she had returned to being your friend again she was still dating Seamus. All of you could tell she wasn't head over heels for him or anything, but she still seemed incapable of letting him go. Needless to say things hadn't gotten any better between Ron and Hermione. Though at least they didn't hate each other anymore, they were still extremely awkward when they were around each other.<br>"Oh- that's okay Herms," you said with a shrug, "I will see you later than?" at this she grinned and nodded in answer before bolting off down the hallway.

"I really don't like her with that kid," Blaise commented, as she disappeared around the corner. "She should be with Ron," he said firmly.  
>You shrugged, "That is what we want, but it is not necessarily what they want. We can't force them to be together," you responded, somewhat sadly. "If they are really meant to be, then it will happen eventually," you said optimistically, with a small smile on your face.<br>"Yeah- I guess you are right, you are _always_ right," he said, rolling his eyes at you. "Now I need some food before I keel over," he said putting his arm around your shoulder and whisking you off into the Great Hall.

Later that day, when everyone's exams had finally come to a close, you all found yourself resting under the Great Oak Tree. All of you had been too lazy to actually change out of your uniforms; instead you just adjusted them a bit. Your shirt was slightly unbuttoned at the top and your tie was around Blaise's head in a sort of bandana. As soon as you had gotten outside you ditched the knee-high socks and the buckle shoes for bare feet. It was a fabulous summer day, not too hot but just hot enough. "It is over. The thing we have feared for the last seven years is over and done with. Crazy, isn't it?" Harry asked to no one in particular.  
>"Crazy, indeed," you agreed, resting your head on Draco's shoulder.<br>"The dance is tomorrow and then graduation and then..." Hermione paused for a moment, "What are we going to do without this place?" she wondered aloud, she had just rejoined the group after having lunch with Seamus.  
>Everyone sighed in unison at the question. "I really have no bloody idea," Draco admitted, "It isn't like I have a family to go home to or any money to rent an apartment," he continued, all of a sudden sounding very worried.<br>"Oh bugger! I completely forgot..." you mumbled, realizing you had nowhere to go either. "I do have the inheritance from the Darcy's, but it isn't much," you sighed.  
>"Don't be stupid you two! Anna you are most definitely coming to live with me at Twelve Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore isn't going to let either of us out his sight now that we are out in the open," Harry said matter-of-factly and then it hit you that he was probably right. Now that you no longer had the protection of Hogwarts School or real homes, Dumbledore would certainly make you move into the Order headquarters. "The rest of you will probably be staying there too until you can make some money and find a place," Harry added and everyone seemed a little more relaxed at least, but you definitely needed to talk with Dumbledore about this one.<p>

"I will go have a chat with him if you want," you volunteered, pushing yourself off the ground and sweeping your hair up into a messy bun. "Anyone want to join me?" you asked, before heading off. Everyone mumbled out no to your reply, giving various lame excuses of why they couldn't get up. "Well aren't you all a bunch of lazy arses today," you shook your head at them.

"Chocolate Frogs," you said to the large, sinister looking stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office. Immediately the statue split in half allowing you to walk through and onto the long flight of corkscrew stairs. You skipped up every stair, feeling particularly energetic now that your exams were all over with. Although you were still petrified of getting the results you couldn't help, but feel relieved that all the studying was over; you had really started to become sick and tired of the Hogwarts library and Madame Pince shushing you all the time.

When you reached the top, you knocked lightly on the wooden door in front of you. "Come in!" a voice called, but it wasn't Dumbledore's. Obeying the command you opened up the door and poked your head through to see Professor Dumbledore at his desk and Professor McGonagall, Snape, and Hollows seated in front of him. "Good afternoon Miss Darcy," McGonagall greeted, she had been the voice that called you inside.  
>"Mornin' Professors! Are you lot having a party in here and I wasn't invited?" you asked feigning hurt.<br>"Ah- yes! See Anna, you have to be old and tired before you are invited to these parties," Professor Snape responded to your question.  
>"Well- after two weeks of exams I think I qualify as old and tired," you replied, sinking down into the chair beside Professor Hollows that Dumbledore had conjured up for you. At this all the professors laughed amusedly.<p>

"So- what can I do for you Miss Darcy?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.  
>"Well- I- well more like all of us," you began, "The gang and I were talking and honestly none of us have a clue where we are going after school ends," you admitted.<br>"Where are the rest of them then? I am sure they would like to hear this too," Dumbledore commented.  
>"They were too lazy to get off their arses and come up here with me," you answered, with a hint of bitterness in your voice.<br>"Ah- I see," he chuckled lightly. "Anyways... as for after school I was sure that you would be worrying about it soon enough. Ron will of course be returning home to the Burrow I believe and I think Mrs. Weasley even talked about him moving in with one of his brothers, probably Bill. Hermione's parents I am sure will want her home with them, but after she is more than welcome to stay at the headquarters. That also goes for Blaise and Draco was well, at least until they can get situated somewhere else. As for you and Harry- I am afraid that neither of you have much of a choice where you end up," at this you raised an eyebrow. You also noticed a pained expression appear on both McGonagall and Snape's faces. "You and Harry are to go into hiding for awhile, you will not be permitted to leave the headquarters at Twelve Grimmauld Place," he told you and your jaw dropped.


	77. Chapter 77

"What- what does that mean Professor?" you inquired. "We can't leave the house at all?"  
>"It is too dangerous Miss Darcy, for both of you. If either of you are caught or injured or worse..." Dumbledore trailed off for a moment, "Then everything could come crashing down," he finished sadly.<br>"You of course will be able to go into the backyard for Order training, it is hidden just as the house is," Professor McGonagall spoke up, trying to make you feel better.  
>"B-but, I can't go to school? Or work? How am I going to become a healer if I can't leave the house? And how am I ever going to buy my own house if I can't get a job?" you asked, now on the verge of becoming hysterical. They were slowly stealing the life you had planned away from you.<br>"It is only until the war is over," Dumbledore assured you, but it did not comfort you.  
>"That could be <em>years<em>! I refuse to be locked up!" you proclaimed angrily, pounding your visit on the desk with frustration.

"Now listen up you little brat, you will do what you are told understand?" Hollows spat, looking you dead in the eyes with her blood red orbs. "We are doing this for your own good and you are going to have to learn to accept that. Now just calm the hell down!"  
>You glared maliciously at her, feeling the old dislike you used to have for her come back. But you took her advice and took a long, deep breath to try and calm yourself down. It took every bit of self-control you had not to burst out shouting at them again. "I don't want my entire life taken away from me," you said in a very quiet voice. "And what about Draco? How come he doesn't need to be locked up too, he is part of the prophecy too remember?" you reminded them.<br>"First of all- your life will not be taken away from you Miss Darcy. I know of your wish to train as a healer and Madame Pomfrey has offered to tutor you, until school starts up again," Dumbledore explained and you at least felt slightly relieved to be getting some sort of education. "And as for your second question, here is my reasoning... Draco of course will be under close watch just like the rest of the DA members, your six best friends to be more specific. Even though Draco is in the prophecy like you and Harry, he is not in as much danger. In the end it all boils down to you and Harry, and Voldemort knows it," he finished.  
>"But- but we are weak without each other. Remember when he was captured? I was a mess," you countered back, becoming somewhat confused.<br>He nodded, "Another brilliant point Miss Darcy, you are a clever one," he chuckled, "Draco's studying away and possibly living elsewhere will of course cause a little discomfort for the both of you, but I think it is for the best. You two need to build up strength individually and the only way you can do that is with a little separation. Not too much of course, but just enough," he said, "I know you two wouldn't be thrilled with the idea of not being together," he chuckled. "And I am not about to split up young love," he assured you with a smile.

You left the office feeling a weird mixture of anger and relief that was beginning to make your head spin. The idea of never leaving Twelve Grimmauld Place was definitely not your favorite idea in the world, but like Hollows said it was for the best. It would give you time to build up your strength and skills before the final battle arrived.

"So what is the story?" Harry inquired when you reappeared outside.  
>"You are not going to like it," you said tentatively. You were reluctant to break the news to him, because you knew that he was just like Sirius. He was going to hate being locked away like a prisoner. He gave you an annoyed look that told you he just wanted you to get on with it. So with a heavy sigh you plopped down on to the ground in front of them, sitting Indian-style, and began to relay everything Dumbledore had said. "So basically you are all are free to do what you please, except for me and Harry, who are going to be locked away for our own <em>safety<em>," you finally finished, saying the last word with loathing.  
>"Well that sucks the big one," Harry said, letting out a groan. "Can't say I didn't expect it though, that is pretty much like what all my summers have been like," he shrugged, taking it a lot better than you had anticipated. But you predicted that after two weeks of imprisonment in the house of Black he would be singing a song of a very different tune.<br>You nodded slowly at his words and then looked over to Draco, "We need to talk," you said, with a note of darkness in your voice you could tell made him nervous.  
>"Yeah- sure, right away," he agreed, literally jumping up from his seat on the ground.<p>

The sun was beating down upon the two of you as you walked hand in hand down the path toward the Shrieking Shack. The soft chirping of bluebirds could be heard echoing through the swaying trees above. You watched them fly from branch to branch with twigs or worms in their beaks that they were brining home to their babies still back in the nest. And for some reason you desired to be a bird as you watched them. They were so free and so happy. Flying from tree to tree, soaring through the vast blue sky without worrying about tomorrow... just flying. And if something bad happened you always had that option to just fly away. "So- is something wrong? Are you okay?" he asked with concern, but you were two caught up in the world around you to take notice. "Anna- Anna seriously come back to earth. You just said the most feared words in the relationship dictionary... _We need to talk_. So- now get on with the talking already," Draco said, waving his hand in front of your face.  
>"Oh yeah- sorry. I am not breaking up with you or anything like that you dunderhead, I was just thinking it would be nice to be a bird," you said, in a dreamy voice.<br>"A bird, eh? You are strange one Darcy," he chuckled, shaking his head at you.  
>"But that is why you love me, isn't it?" you retorted, with a smirk on your lips.<br>"Aye- but that is only one of the reasons," he responded, "There are far too many to count," he whispered gently in your heart, making your heart skip a beat.

"Anyways, what did you want to talk with me about?" he repeated his previous question.  
>"The future," you stated simply.<br>"The future," he repeated, "My favorite topic," he said sarcastically.  
>You smiled a little, but your face soon returned to a solemn state. "I won't be able to leave the house, but you will be," you sighed, running your fingers through your hair. "I get weak when you aren't around me, I <em>need<em> you Draco. What am I going to do without you?"  
>"That is a question you will never have to answer, love," he replied, wrapping his arm around your shoulders so you were close to him. "I am staying at Twelve Grimmauld Place until this is all over and I promise you that. I may go off to school or work during the day, but I will always return home to you when the sun sets. That is a promise," he said firmly, "Then maybe someday, when this is all over of course, we can finally get married and then find a place of our own... just me and you," he finished, with a faraway look in his blue eyes.<p>

You smiled at the thought. Over the past year you must have pictured it in your head at least a hundred times... Draco and you sitting on the back porch of a lovely white house in two rocking chairs side by side. The house was not a mansion by any means or anything too fancy really. It was cozy and inviting cottage, with a huge backyard. And in the back there were children playing, your children. With Draco's ice blue eyes and your wavy, dirty blonde hair flying behind them. They were laughing; the sound of the laughter echoed around you like the signing of angels. Then Draco would look over and smile at you and warmness would come over you. As well as that same feeling of perfection you got when you were with him...

"Yeah someday," you finally replied, leaning up and kissing him gently on the lips. He deepened the kiss, resting his hands on the small of your back. His kissed your bottom lip and your whole body tingled as his tongue entered your mouth. His kiss was soft and romantic yet it was passionate and hungry; you knew then that he needed you too. Your happiness, your well being, your very world depended on the other. You weren't sure what would happen if the bond between you was ever broken, all you knew was you did not want to find out anytime soon.

"_Ugh_! Ginny Weasley you have been in that bathroom for a half hour now and my hair is still a frizz ball, so get the hell out, you hear me!" Hermione yelled as she rapt loudly on the door leading into the Gryffindor seventh year girls' bathroom. Luna and you had snuck into the Gryffindor house to get ready before the dance. You were both afraid that you might die from all hairspray fumes the Ravenclaw girls had been giving off. Besides the Gryffindors were always more amusing... Ginny had shown up in the seventh year girl's room complaining that the sixth years were hogging the bathroom and she only needed to use it for a quick second. It dawned on Hermione and the other girls a half hour later that this had been a lie.  
>"Oh shut up bedhead! I am going, alright?" Ginny yelled back, suddenly emerging from the bathroom. "Oh Merlin, your hair really is a frizz ball," she commented when she caught sight of Hermione, who glared at her comment. "Just come with me, I can fix that!" Ginny exclaimed cheerily, pulling Hermione inside.<p>

You were sitting on the ground with your back leaning against the edge of Lavander's bed, still in your pajamas; you hadn't gotten changed into your dance dress just yet. Parvati was sitting above you; she had tied back the front pieces of your hair and was now putting the rest in soft, lovely curls that fell gracefully over your shoulders. Beside you, Lavander was trying to get Luna's hair to cooperate, but was having a bugger of a time with it. Her hair was so thick and long that there were very few people who could actually style it without going completely insane before. "So are you excited about the dance?" Parvati asked, as she continued to work on your hairstyle.  
>"So excited! I couldn't even go to the last one- for erm- certain reasons," you said awkwardly. You didn't exactly like to remember the day you had been captured by the Death Eaters out by the lake. There was probably also the remembrance of seeing Draco kiss Ruby Pickford that completely turned you off at the memory.<br>"Oh right," she said, in the same awkward tone. "Anyways! I cannot wait to see who wins the awards!" she said in a giggly voice. You had to admit you were excited about the awards too. See- for the past week at schools professors had been taking votes from the seventh year students for school superlatives, like 'Biggest Flirt', 'Most Likely To Succeed', or 'Best Dressed'. Everyone was curious to see who would walk away with these titles.

Nearly two hours later all the girls were finally finished getting ready, though Hermione was still complaining her hair looked too frizzy. In your opinion however she looked absolutely gorgeous. Ginny had straightened Hermione's dark brown hair and it was hanging down elegantly at her sides with a few braids here and there. She was wearing a long, halter-top, brown dress that was adorned with beads and brought out the color of her eyes wonderfully. You knew Seamus was going to flip when he saw her and that Ron was going to be miserable.  
>Ron, though still pining after Hermione, had finally gotten the guts to ask a girl to the dance, so he was Lavander's date. Lavander looked lovely as well with her bright, blonde hair back in a banana-curled ponytail. She was wearing a knee-length, strapless light pink dress that looked adorable on her. Parvati stood beside her in a matching dress, except it was a much dark shade of pink. Her long black hair was tied up in an elegant bun and she looked breathtaking as well; Blaise was going to be thrilled when he saw her. Luna cleaned up well herself with her long golden blonde hair up in a high ponytail. She was wearing a lovely off-the-shoulder, dark green gown that you had helped her pick out. Ginny on the other hand looked the most amazing of all. Part of you still just though of her as Ron's baby sister; you didn't realize exactly how much she had grown up until just now. Parvati had straightened her fiery red hair and she was letting it hang loosely over her shoulders. Her hair contrasted marvelously with her shining blue eyes and pale, freckled skin. She was wearing a spaghetti strap, dark red dress that stopped a few inches above her knee and fit her like a glove. You wouldn't have been surprised if poor Colin fainted right there in his tracks when he saw her. You also wouldn't be surprised if Ron freaked out about the whole thing.<p>

"Bloody hell Gin, you look amazing. I keep forgetting that you're sixteen and not ten anymore," you laughed.  
>She rolled her eyes, "Yeah- Ron seems to forget that sometimes too, well actually <em>all<em> of the time," she said bitterly. "But enough about me, Anna you look stunning. I can't even get over it, sometimes I forget you are a girl," she teased and you stuck your tongue out at her.

Though you had always been considered pretty, you had a very modest taste in clothing; never really showing off the nice figure that you actually had. But tonight you had decided to wear the dress Draco had bought you for your birthday to wear to the last dance that you unfortunately had to miss. You turned slowly and looked at yourself in the full-length mirror propped up against the wall; you couldn't help, but smile at your reflection. The navy blue, silk, spaghetti-strapped dress hugged every curve of your body in just the right way; like it had been custom made for you. It stopped just at your knees and ruffled out a bit. The front strands of your hair were tied back in twists, while the rest hung in loose curls. Your make-up was very subtle, but just enough to bring out your natural beauty and the loveliness of your honey brown eyes. "Draco is not going to know what hit him," Hermione said, resting her hands on your shoulders.  
>"This is going to be a night to remember," you responded, with a mischievous smirk on your face.<p>

But little did you know just how right you actually were...


	78. Chapter 78

"Have I told you gorgeous you look tonight?" Draco asked, as the two of you walked down to the Great Hall with your arms linked together.  
>"At least a hundred times now, love," you laughed in reply. "But that's okay, it never hurts to hear it again," you added, kissing him quickly on the cheek. "The other girls look pretty good too, don't they?" you chuckled, looking over to the boys in front of you drooling over Ginny, Hermione, and Luna.<br>"I suppose," he answered, "But not nearly as beautiful as you," he said, slipping his arm around your back and pulling your body close to his. You couldn't help, but giggle a little and you felt your cheeks flushing pink. "Ready?" he asked, as you reached the large double doors of the Hall and you nodded. Excitement pulsed through you; you had been imagining how the Great Hall would look. When you stepped inside, you couldn't help, but gasp at the beauty of the room. The teachers always did a wonderful job, but this time they had outdone themselves.

The ceiling was decorated with red and gold metallic steamers of Gryffindor intertwining with the silver and green ones of Slytherin. The buffet tables were draped with silk linens, colored yellow like Hufflepuff with a silver lining for Ravenclaw or colored black with a blue lining. Twinkling lights dangled from the window and the ceiling showed the picture of a perfect, starry night sky. Slow, melodious music echoed from some unknown source and traveled throughout the hall. Small, round tables were set up on the outside of the dance floor and were draped tablecloths with the colors of all four houses. "It's beautiful," you whispered to Draco, still in awe.  
>"Yeah... they are really promoting this house unity thing, aren't they?" he commented.<br>You chuckled a little, "The Slytherins don't look to happy that their streamers are hugging the Gryffindor ones," you pointed out. Underneath a decoration of streamers Crabbe and Goyle were working hard to untangle their streamers from the red and gold ones, but to no avail.  
>"Yes, but fortunately most of them are much too stupid to figure out how to remove them," he said.<br>"True, true," you agreed, with a smile. "But enough with this talking! This is a dance Draco, so let's dance!" you exclaimed, grabbing hold of his hand and pulling him out into the center of the dance floor before he knew what hit him.

"You two do realize that your only people dancing?" Ginny asked, looking extremely amused.  
>You just smiled, "Who cares! It's fun! They're just a bunch of wimps for not joining us," you giggled as Draco spun you around. You could have cared less if everyone was staring at you, it was your night and you were going to have fun. "So stop laughing at us Weasley and join in!" you shouted, as Draco dipped you over his arm.<br>"I guess you got a point," Ginny laughed and she pulled Colin close to her. Soon enough the entire school was on their feet. After an hour and a half or so of dancing your arses off the fun, upbeat music came to an end and a slow, poignant love song took its place. Draco's hands snaked gently around your waist and rested softly upon your lower back. You, in turn, wrapped your arms around his shoulders and pushed your body close to his with your head laid comfortably on his chest so you could hear his heart beating. The harmonious sound of the song put you into a wonderful trance and you were soon completely lost in the moment; everything seemed so perfect, like you and Draco were the only two people in the entire room. Part of you wondered what you had done to deserve to be so happy.

"Anna, let's go take a walk," Draco whispered in you ear, which snapped you quickly out of your pleasant trance.  
>"But it is so perfect right here," you murmured in reply, not lifting your head from his chest.<br>"Believe me, love, it will be well worth it. Let's go take a walk," he repeated and you reluctantly lifted your head up to see a smile on his face and a twinkle of excitement in his pale blue eyes.  
>"Okay, fine!" you gave in, "But this better be good," you warned him, reluctantly removing your arms from around his shoulders.<br>"Oh don't worry, it is," he said confidently, but you heard him whisper '_at least I hope it is..._' faintly under his breath.

You and Draco walked out of the Great Hall and onto the grounds, making sure to stay very close to the school so as to not get into any trouble in case there were any Death Eaters lurking around. You had learned the grounds of Hogwarts were not nearly as safe as the school the hard way, after being attacked by your mother twice.  
>The sky was pitch black by this point, the music could still be heard faintly in the background, and billions of little stars were twinkling. It was a warm evening with just a slight breeze that made you shiver a little. "Cold?" Draco asked concernedly.<br>"No, not really," you responded, "Just a little breeze coming through, that's all," you assured him. He nodded slowly as he bit his bottom lip, looking nervous for some reason. You noticed as he walked closer to you that he was fidgeting with something in his pocket. "So why did you want to come out here? You obviously had something in mind," you said, with curiosity.  
>"Well yes, yes I do," he answered, pulling the mysterious item out of his pocket. From what you could make out in the darkness it looked like some sort of small box. "I- well... I never did buy you a ring," he began, slowly. "I owled my mum a little while ago, we haven't talked in awhile, but I needed to ask her for something. Unlike my father, she actually still cares about me, so she uh- sent me this," he said, referring to the small box in his hand. "It was my grandmother's ring," he said and in that moment he slowly lifted the top of the box open to reveal one of the most beautiful things you had ever seen. It was a square cut, emerald engagement ring surrounded with small, white diamonds, on a solid gold band.<br>"Oh Draco... oh wow, it's magnificent," you said breathlessly, unable to believe your eyes.  
>"Put it on," he urged, looking utterly relieved that you liked it. Carefully you reached out and grasped the ring between your fingers, before slipping it slowly on to your left ring finger. You held out your hand in front of you and couldn't help, but smile ear to ear as the large diamond sparkled in the moonlight. "I'm so glad you like it," Draco said happily.<br>"I _love it_," you replied, before pulling him into a tight hug. You could feel the tears starting to well up in your eyes, "You still manage to amaze me Mr. Malfoy," you admitted. You leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips; as you did you felt your stomach do a flip. The two of you had been together for nearly a year now, but every time you kissed it still felt like the first time.

"Now wherever did you two disappear to? Have a little _fun_ of your own out on the grounds, Darcy?" Ginny asked suspiciously when you and Draco reentered the Great Hall.  
>"Just went for a little walk," you answered innocently, hiding your left hand casually behind your back. Yours and Draco's engagement was still a secret and you weren't sure if you were ready to tell everyone else about it yet for some reason. You were the kind of person who always wanted to wait for the perfect moment for big events like announcing an engagement.<br>"Yeah, sure," Ginny said, in obvious disbelief. "You are a terrible liar," she said playfully.  
>You chuckled, "Excuse me! I have prided myself on being a <em>brilliant<em> liar, Ginny dear. How do you think I've managed to avoid getting expelled all these years, huh?" you retorted.  
>"Sheer dumb luck," Harry said, ruffling up your hair a little.<br>You rolled your eyes at him and laughed, "Don't even get me started on dumb luck, Potter! You're the king of it," you warned him jokingly. "Let's just go sit down for awhile, all that dancing caught up to me," you admitted, looking longingly at the comfortable cushioned chairs your friends were all sitting in. They both nodded in agreement and when Draco returned with your drinks you began to walk over to the table to join your mates, but something stopped you dead in your place.

The music came to an abrupt stop and eruption of curious whispers began to fill the hall. "_What's going on?" "Why did the music stop?"_ Then the sad answer to these questions came when Dumbledore suddenly appeared at the front of the room atop of a podium.  
>"Everyone, silence!" his booming voice echoed of the walls of the Great Hall and everyone was instantly hushed. Your heart began to pound nervously when you looked up to see an almost frightened expression on Dumbledore's face. '<em>But Dumbledore is never afraid... he's Dumbledore!<em>' your mind was racing; something had gone terribly wrong...

"I am sorry to tell you all that the dance is over. Something has happened and for your own safety I must urge you to all return to your own respective common rooms for the remainder of the night. Anyone caught wandering around after hours will be severely punished no matter what the circumstances," he said firmly and the overwhelming feeling that something was terribly wrong panged your heart again. "You all may go except for the Charms club," Dumbledore said, so you stayed exactly where you were as everyone else filed out. A long time ago the D.A. had decided if they ever had to talk about themselves in public they would use the alias of the "_Charms Club_".  
>"I didn't know this school had a Charms club," one girl said as she passed you, "What a bunch of <em>dorks<em>," she added, which made you laugh a little to yourself.

"I wonder what is going on," Draco whispered, protectively wrapping his arm around your waist as you all approached a grave looking Dumbledore surrounded by the other professors.  
>"Me too," you responded, wringing your hands to together in nervous habit. "Dumbledore looks <em>scared<em>..."  
>"And that can never mean anything good," Harry said, coming up beside of you looking pale. You reached out and took his hand firmly in yours and were surprised that it was shaking. But it probably shouldn't have come as such a surprise, if there was bad news it usually had something to do with Harry.<p>

"I am afraid I have some terrible news," Dumbledore finally spoke, only after the rest of the room had cleared out. "There has been four new deaths as of late and they are all related to members of the D.A." he sighed and all of you gasped. "We fear that your names may have been leaked, though there is no clear evidence for this yet, it is a possibility. So we must ask you all to alert your families to be careful for the time being," he said seriously.  
>"P-professor," Hannah's small, squeaky voice came from the crowd.<br>"Yes, Miss Abbott?" Dumbledore's face immediately looked saddened when he heard her voice.  
>"Who- whose family?" she asked timidly. You looked around to see almost everybody was one edge thinking it was his or her family who had been killed. Ron looked like he was going to vomit at any second.<br>"I'm sad to say..." Dumbledore began slowly, clearly not wanting to say the distressing words aloud.


	79. Chapter 79

"I'm sad to say..." Dumbledore began slowly, clearly not wanting to say the distressing words aloud. "I am sad to say that four great wizards, Leslie, Martin, and Katie Abbott and Elena Smith have been discovered dead with the dark mark over their homes," he finished, with his eyes glittering with small silver tears.

At these words your chest began to hurt and you couldn't manage to breath. Your teary eyes traveled over to Hannah Abbott, her body was completely still and her face was just as unmoving except for her eyes. There was shock and heartbreak radiating from them. Her entire family, mother, father, and sister, were dead. Anna could only imagine the pain that she was feeling inside of her right now. Zacharias Smith's, the boy who had carried you out of the Forbidden Forest the day you almost died, head had fallen and a single tear fell down his cheek at the news his older sister was dead. The other Hufflepuffs in the D.A. all surrounded them, trying their best to comfort the two, but they seemed to be in a completely different world at this point. Dumbledore swept off his podium and cleared the students away from Hannah and Zacharias; he swept them both under his arms and led them slowly out of the Hall away from all the shocked and staring faces.

"_Ehem..._" McGonagall cleared her throat and everyone turned to face her. Everyone was still completely silence as they attempted to truly comprehend the news they had just been given. "This is truly an upsetting tragedy, but I am afraid that being part of the Order of the Phoenix amidst a war you will see the types of tragedies. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is an evil man who does not hesitate to kill those who get in his way even if they are innocent, old, or young. You must be on your guard at all time and you must prepare yourself to see things that you have never seen and never wanted to see in your life. I have survived one war with the darkest wizard who ever lived. I have seen dear friends die," she sighed, her eyes rested on Harry almost as if she was picturing Lily and James again. "I have been betrayed by other friends," she continued and you were sure she meant Peter Pettigrew, "But in the end we made it safe, at least for a short while, for a new generation of wizards to live in peace. Now he is back and is up to us to see that he is vanquished once and for all. The future of the wizarding world rests, at least partially, on your shoulder my dear students. Some of you will be graduating this year and will begin your training to become the best dueling and most resourceful wizards that you can be. I have the utmost faith in all of you and I love all of you and I suggest that you love each other. Comfort those who are dealt tragedies and love the ones who are close to you now, because you never know what tomorrow might bring" she trailed off. By this point tears were pouring from her eyes that were usually so severe, but today they were soft and reminiscent.

You felt Draco's body behind yours as he wrapped his arms tightly around waist and rested his chin on the top of your head. His hand were grasping on to yours almost as if he never wanted to let go. At that moment you had never felt so thankful for the love you two shared in your life. Some people could search their entire lives for a love like the one that you two shared and you were fortunate enough to find it at the young age of sixteen years old. Suddenly you felt like one of the luckiest people alive despite all the drama you had to deal with in your life, at least you had Draco. "I love you so much Draco," you whispered quietly, turning around a little so you could look into his entrancing, pale blue eyes.  
>He kissed you softly on the lips and although it was only a small kiss you could feel the overwhelming passion behind it. "I thank heaven for you everyday of my life Anna Darcy," he replied.<br>"I want to get married," you said, looking down at the dazzling ring on your finger that symbolized the everlasting love that you two shared. "I want to marry you _now_, so if anything does happen..."  
>"<em>Shh...<em>" he placed his finger over your lips and cut of your sentence. "Nothing is going to happen to either of us," he assured you, "I _promise_ you that."

"I feel like I am in a daze," Hermione whispered from her spot on the ground, the next day. She was leaning up against the large oak tree on the edge of the Hogwarts ground before the Forbidden Forest that you, Draco, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Blaise, and Raven were all gathered around, sitting in silence. Her head was resting on Ron's shoulder and their hands were clasped together. The news had hit you all hard the other day and it was comforting just to be with each other in the same room even if nothing was being said.

"Yeah... kind of like you're in some other world," Blaise sighed in agreement. "I just don't want to believe that it's true," he admitted.  
>"We graduate tomorrow, you know," you said a little randomly. "We're leaving this school forever, we're going to be <em>adults<em>," you said the word with the utmost dislike. Although you had grown up a great deal in a short amount of time you still didn't feel like you were ready to be thrown out into the world on your own.  
>"<em>Adults<em>..." Harry repeated. "Can you even imagine? No more pranks on teachers, no more trips to Hogsmeade, no more Halloween balls or getting drunk in the Room of Requirement."  
>"Those were the days," Ron smiled, as did you all ever so slightly. It felt good to smile after sitting so solemnly that entire morning.<br>"That's why we have to win this war," Draco said, "So that other kids will have the chance to all those things too," he explained and everyone nodded in agreement.

You stood up, detaching yourself from Draco's arms and robbing Blaise of his backrest. You walked out from underneath the cool shade of the tree and into the warm rays of the June sun. The lake in the distance was shimmering like pool of diamonds and the faint laughter of your fellow schoolmates, all oblivious to the horrors that had happened, could be heard. The school stood majestically in the middle of the lush green ground with its tall towers and long windows. You would miss the beautiful castle you called home. "Well I guess it's time to move on my friends," you said, with a surprising amount of optimism in your voice. "With one end comes a new beginning," you turned and smiled at them all.  
>"We have a little announcement to make," Draco said to the group, standing up and putting his arm around you. This sudden proclamation startled you a little, but once you thought about it this seemed like the perfect time to tell your friends about your engagement. It was the day before you would all have to become adults and marriage was an adult thing indeed.<br>"Yes, yes we do," you said, "Well I wish Luna and Gin were here to hear me say this, but here it goes..." Draco and I are- well we're engaged, we're getting married," you finished with a note of excitement in your voice as you pulled your emerald diamond ring out of your pocket.

The expression on your friends' faces were completely shocked, it was obvious that they had certainly not expected you to say that.  
>"You're- you're what?" Blaise sputtered out in astonishment.<br>"We are getting married," Draco answered; a huge smile was plastered upon his handsome face.  
>"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, making you chuckle a little.<br>"You two- marriage- but- but we're only eighteen!" Harry finally managed to stammer out.  
>"Oh hush, you two... they're in love," Hermione sighed, slapping Ron on the arm. Her reaction particularly surprised you. She was probably the most practical of all your friends and it wasn't exactly considered practical to get married at eighteen.<br>"That's right," you said. "We're in love and we're going to be married," you said firmly. You dearly wanted your friends' support on this decision, but despite what they said you had already made up your mind on the matter anyways. You were going to marry Draco and spend the rest of your life by his side.  
>"Okay... I just have one question," Blaise said very seriously.<br>"Yes?" you and Draco asked in unison.  
>"I'm the best man, right?" and with that you all broke out into laughter.<p>

"It's got to be true, I heard it from a _very_ reliable source," you head Padma Patil's voice as you made your way up to your dormitory after a long day.  
>"But they're so young... and well it is Draco Malfoy. He's way too good for a nutter like her if you ask me," Stacey Rowlands high-pitched voice broke in.<br>"But they've been together so long. He must really love her. _I_ think it is romantic," another girl swooned.  
>"Well then you are a nutter too," Stacey spat.<p>

You shook your head in amusement and opened the door, "It has been seven years and still all you ladies can talk about is little old me," you chuckled, placing your hand over your heart dramatically. "I really am touched my fellow Ravenclaws, I have been so honored to be the center of your life so many years," you mocked, rolling your eyes at them.  
>"Don't flatter yourself Darcy!" Stacey snapped, glaring daggers at you.<br>"Shut up, Stacey!" Padma reprimanded her friend, catching you completely off guard. "So, Anna... is it true? Are you and Draco really getting married?" she asked excitement in her eyes.  
>"Yes, we are," you answered simply.<br>"Well then, congratulations. I am truly happy for you guys," Padma said, stepping off her bed. She reached out her arms and pulled you into a quick hug. Your body stiffened up at first in surprise. Was the girl who had been your worst enemy for so many years hugging you?  
>"Uh thanks... Padma," you said, still a little unsure about this. For all you knew she had just taped a mean sign to your back that '<em>Kick Me<em>' or '_Curse Me_', or something else along those lines.  
>"I'm not playing with you, Anna," she laughed, as if reading your mind. "We all have to grow up sometime, right?" she laughed.<br>And all you could think was, '_Yeah, I guess that we do._'


	80. Chapter 80

"Harry... I'm bored," you muttered, after transfiguring your plate into a goblet for about the eighth time. You were lying sprawled out on your stomach on the floor of your bedroom at Twelve Grimmauld Place. It was about quarter to six in the morning, so there were still some rays of light coming through the small window by your bed. It was snowing gently outside on that particularly cold December day.  
>"Tell me about it," Harry responded. He was sitting atop your bed, levitating one of your pillows back and forth across the room. "A whole summer of the most brutal training I have ever been through and <em>this<em> is what we are stuck doing for last four months," he said bitterly. The two of you had been stuck in Grimmauld Place completely alone for nearly four months now and it was really starting to wear on both of your nerves. The only company you had other than each other were the few Order members that showed up for a few minutes to check on things every few hours or so and the brief weeks you got to spend with your friends. Everyone else, like Draco, Hermione, Ron, Raven, and Blaise, were traveling around Europe battling Death Eaters, saving innocent wizards, and recruiting others to your side. Or like Ginny and Luna, they were finishing off their last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. All you really got to do was translate papers written in ancient runes and keep the house clean. It also didn't help you any that you were constantly worried about whether you friends were okay or not, for all you knew they had been killed or captured by Death Eaters. You worried endlessly about Draco; the thought of him occupied your dreams so much that you could barely sleep anymore.  
>"To be fair, Dumbledore did warn us, mate," you shrugged. It was the truth. The day before their last day at Hogwarts Dumbledore had revealed to them the bad news that they would have to stay in hiding at Grimmauld Place while everyone else go to go out and fight. It was just too big of a risk to let you guys out into the open because if either of you died than Voldemort would be victorious. "What to do... what to do..." you stood up and felt a little light-headed; it was your first time standing up in about two hours. Once you came back to your senses you paced around the room searching for something remotely interesting to do.<p>

"Hey Harry, want to duel?" you asked, having a sudden stroke of brilliance. "They did say we should be sharpening our skills while we are stuck in this place, anyways," you added.  
>"Yeah... but you're a better dueler than me," he said very quietly, his eyes had traveled to the floor. "<em>Aww<em>... are you scared of little ol' me Potter?" you teased. Harry wasn't stupid, but you knew if you attacked his pride he would be up and ready to duel with you in less than a second.  
>"Fine, let's go Darcy!" he exclaimed, grabbing up his wand and falling right into your trap.<br>"I thought that is what you would say," you chuckled, with a smirk on your face. The two of you walked toward the center of the room and shook hand as in a proper duel. You then turned around and prepared to fight.

"Expelliarmus!" you yelled and a jet of yellow light shot out of your wand and right at Harry, but he stuck back quickly with a shield charm that sent your own spell flying back at you. With surprisingly quick reflexes you dropped to the ground and the light shot over you and hit the portrait of an old woman of the Black family. "_Why you little ruffians! Stop that horseplay in my house! This is an insult,_" she twittered on and on, until you turned around and shot a silencing charm at her. "Merlin that old twit gets on my nerves," you muttered and Harry laughed.  
>But he didn't laugh for long, "Stupefy!" he shouted, sending a threatening jet of red light at you.<br>"Protego!" you sent the red light shooting right into an old lamp on your nightstand, causing it to shatter. "You trying to kill me Potter?" you inquired feeling a little exasperated.  
>"Nope, just trying to stupefy you, my dear," he replied, with a wide, haughty smile that made your fists clench.<br>"Oh, you are going to get now Potty! FURNUCULUS!" you suddenly screamed, finally catching him off guard. Suddenly a whole mess of extremely unattractive boils broke out onto his face, making him look very similar to Marietta Edgecombe after she betrayed the D.A. "I like that look on you Potter," you teased, "Very, very attractive," you added on quite sarcastically  
>. "Why you little Pelo Rosadarium!" he yelled out another spell and you just stood as the ray of pink light struck you. But you weren't exactly sure what it had done to you, but judging by the exceptionally amused look of Harry's face, it was something embarrassing.<br>"What did you do Potter?" you exclaimed, running toward a mirror. You gasped when you saw your hair had turned a particularly bright shade of pink. "You little bugger!" you spun around and shot another spell at him and suddenly his legs broke out dancing into what looked like an Irish jig. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not stop his legs from moving. He tumbled around the room, breaking half the items in it as he did, while you fell to the ground in laughter.  
>"Err- Wingardium leviosa!" he yelled, and all of a sudden you found yourself floating a few feet above the ground.<br>"Oh Merlin! Potter put me down right now before you bloody drop me!" you ordered. Harry wasn't exactly having an easy time controlling his spell, while his legs were break dancing beneath him.

"What in the hell are you two doing?" Severus Snape shouted, as he opened door and witnessed one of the strangest sights of his life. Harry was dancing violently around the room with boils on his face, while you were hanging up in the air near the ceiling with neon pink hair, and the floor was covered with broken pieces of lamps, tables, and pictures.  
>"<em>Uhh<em>... practicing our dueling skills?" you offered lamely, shrugging your shoulders a little. You had always been a brilliant liar, but you weren't quite sure on how to explain this one.  
>He narrowed his eyes at you before yelling out a number of counter curses. Harry's legs stopped moving and he collapsed down on to the floor to catch his breath. However, as soon as he did he lost control of the levitating spell he was holding over you and you went hurtling to the ground. "<em>Ouch<em>! Nice one, Potter!" you yelled after hitting the wooden floor with a sickening crunch.  
>"Sorry, Anna," Harry gasped; his boil-covered cheeks were flushed from physical exertion.<p>

Snape shook his head at you both in disbelief. "You both do realize that you are eighteen years old right? If the war really rests on you two then we are bloody doomed," he sighed.  
>"Well it was going well, but we got a little carried away, is all," you explained, trying to stand up, but you immediately fell back down to the floor. "<em>Ugh<em>... I think you broke my leg," you glared at Harry.  
>"Well that's what you get for giving me boils," he replied simply.<br>"Hah! Those boils are nothing compared to the color of my hair!" you retorted.  
>"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" Snape yelled and the two of you became silent, but continued to glare at each other. "Now unless you both plan on defeating the Dark Lord by turning his hair pink-"<br>"Well last time I saw him he didn't really have hair, Sir," Harry interrupted matter-of-factly.  
>"That is not the point, Potter! You and Darcy need to be actually working on your skills, not playing around and destroying the entire house! Now you will clean this up the muggle way!" he commanded, as if the two of you were back in detention like the old days at Hogwarts.<br>"Um, mate. I hate to tell you this, but we aren't in school anymore," you pointed out, with a smirk.  
>"Well, <em>mate<em>," Snape imitated mockingly, "I am _still_ you superior and you will do what I say. EXPELLIARMUS!" he yelled and yours and Harry's wands went flying from your hands. "Now clean! And when you're done I expect you two to make me some breakfast, I'm starving," he added, before sweeping out of the room and slamming the door behind her. You stuck your tongue out after him.

"Good job, Anna. Way to get us in trouble," Harry muttered, as he began to sweep up some pieces of the broken lamp with one of your shirts.  
>"Hey, you started it!" you countered, sounding like you were ten years old again. "And I like that shirt, you know!"<br>"I can't imagine why, it's positively dreadful if you ask me," he commented, continuing to sweep with it.  
>"Oh really? Well, you did give it to me for my birthday in fifth year, mate," you pointed out.<br>"Oh... yeah," Harry said, "Well- I guess it's not _that_ ugly," he mumbled.

About an hour and half later you and Harry trudged down the stairs feelings absolutely exhausted. "I don't know how muggles do it," you said.  
>"Neither do I. Thank Merlin we're wizards," Harry responded.<br>"Ah, but your work is not done yet," Snape smiled maniacally when you both entered the kitchen. "I still want my breakfast. There is everything you need to make pancakes; I expect them to be done when I return. And they better taste good," he warned, with a stern look.

You and Harry stared clueless at the eggs, butter, flour, and various other ingredients spread out on the table. "What do we do with _those_?" you asked.  
>"Like I have a clue! You should, you are the woman aren't you," he responded to your question.<br>"And what is that supposed to mean?" you retorted, with an angry expression on your face.  
>"Erm- nothing," Harry responded, "Just a- nothing..." he trailed off, looking a little scared of you.<br>"Good," you said, walking over to the table. "Well I think we put one of these in," you said picking up an egg and dropping it into one of the big bowls on the table. It caught you by surprised when the thing broke open and yellow goo oozed out of it. "What the hell?"  
>"I don't think you're supposed to leave the shell in there," Harry said. "I used to have to make the Dursley's breakfast sometimes, you see."<br>"_Oops_," you muttered, pulling out some of the shells, but leaving the smaller pieces in there. "I'm sure he won't even notice those ones," you said, picking up the flour and pouring the entire contents of the bag into the bowl. "Let's give our favorite Professor a little present, eh Potter?" you said mischievously.  
>"What do you have in mind?" he asked and with that you pulled a small box from out of your pocket.<br>"A little something I got at Fred and George's shop," you smirked.

Snape returned an hour or so later to find Harry and you standing by the table with proud smiles on your faces. He looked suspiciously at you and then at the three pancakes that laid on one of the plates upon the table smothered with maple syrup. "We cooked them all by ourselves!" you exclaimed.  
>"Yes... that's why I fear for my life," Snape responded and you frowned at him, looking offended.<br>"You should have more faith in your goddaughter," you stated.  
>"Yeah, we tried really hard, Sir," Harry said sweetly, making Snape look even more apprehensive as he approached the table. He sat down at the chair and both you and Harry could feel the excitement building within you. He picked up the fork and cut a small piece off of the first pancake and lifted it to his mouth. There was a short pause in which you figured Snape was debating between whether actually putting your cooking into his mouth. It was certainly a risk knowing the two of you. But eventually he bit down and a disgusted look appeared on his face.<br>"These pancakes are crunchy!" he exclaimed, he gulped the piece down like he was swallowing a worm. "And there's a weird sort of salty taste, what the hell did you put in-" but his sentence was cut short and a horrified look appeared on his face. Immediately he jumped up from his chair and sprinted toward the bathroom.

As soon as he shut the door, you and Harry broke out into hysterical laughter. You fell down to the ground because you were laughing so hard. "Fred and George's U-No-Poo, the constipation sensation! They are bloody geniuses, they are," you exclaimed.  
>"What has just happened here?" someone asked, and the two of you instantaneously stopped laughing and looked up to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway of the kitchen. His baby blue eyes were surveying you with a small twinkle of amusement in them.<br>"Uh- well see, we made Professor Snape pancakes for breakfast and they well- they didn't exactly _agree_ with him, Harry explained.  
>Dumbledore looked over to the deformed, lumpy looking pancakes on the plate and smiled. "No, I suppose that they wouldn't," he chuckled. "I suppose Severus is occupying the restroom then?"<br>Harry and you snorted involuntarily, trying your absolute best to suppress your laughter. "Yes, sir. Yes, he is," you managed to sputter out.  
>Dumbledore sighed, "Well, on to another subject... I have some good news for you two," he said.<br>"We can leave this bloody house?" you questioned hopefully.  
>"No, Miss Darcy," he replied apologetically, "But your friends will be coming home for Christmas."<br>At this you felt a huge smile break out on to your face, "Draco is coming home? And Blaise, Luna?" you exclaimed.  
>"The whole gang," Dumbledore nodded. You and Harry nearly screamed with excitement when the two of you hugged each other happily. "I knew that would cheer you up," he chuckled.<br>"Our friends are coming home!" you exclaimed again, "My Draco is coming home..."


	81. Chapter 81

It was nearly pitch black in the room except for the green flame within the fireplace that succeeded in giving the room a truly ominous glow. Bellatrix could only make out her master's dark red eyes shining in the far corner of the room where his chair was. Nagini's hissing could be faintly heard behind her somewhere, the noise sent shivers down her spine. Bellatrix was rarely afraid of anything in her life, but there were few who could stand where she was and still maintain their composure. Her hands were clenched on to her black shroud at her side, as she stood in complete silence waiting for her beloved Lord to speak to her.

"I am disappointed, Bella," his cold, hissing voice broke through the darkness. "The war is not going well..."  
>"But my Lord, things have gotten better! Amelia Bones and Emmeline Vance are out of the way, and we left one of the Weasley boys in pretty bad shape," Bellatrix spoke up in response.<br>"Don't interrupt me when I am speaking Bella," Voldemort spat as he rose from his chair. "You should know better than to do that by now." He strode across the room and stopped only a few mere inches from her face.  
>"I am sorry Lord, I was wrong..." she said contritely, looking uneasily away from his eyes that were glaring right at her.<br>"You are forgiven, my child," he stroked a piece of her raven black hair away from her pallid white cheeks. The touch of his cold, scaly skin made her shiver and she wanted nothing more than move away from him. "You're a beautiful woman, Bella... as is your daughter as I can tell from the pictures of her," he said bringing a picture of a smiling Anna Darcy with her old friends Freddie Martin and Roger Davies sitting on a Quidditch pitch in Ravenclaw robes. "It's so unfortunate that I have yet to meet her," he continued, "If that idiot we left as her guard had kept a closer eye on her I would have met the famous Anna Bella Lestrange, or what is that name she is going by now... Anna Darcy, yes?"  
>"Yes, sir. Her foster parent's last name," Bellatrix explained.<br>"_Ahh_ yes- I killed them awhile ago, did I not? That wasn't very hard, no... What I don't understand Bella dear is why your daughter is _still_ alive," he stared at her again, this time signaling he wanted an answer.  
>"I don't know my Lord. She has been lucky thus far, but her luck must run out sometime," Bella answered, with a devilish smirk on her face.<br>"Yes, yes... Her luck best run out before yours does Bella," he said with a maniacal laugh that made Bellatrix's heart nearly stop. "Oh don't look so scared my child; I will not being killing you anytime soon. Malfoy's boy is still gallanting about but they've obviously got the girl and Potter in hiding, however they will not remain there forever. Sooner or later they will come and find us or we will find them. But next time we meet them we must leaves their dead corpses on the ground or there will be suffering for you all, suffering like you could never imagine my Bella," he warned her calmly. "Relay my message to rest of my followers. Make sure they understand the importance of killing these children. They and only they could be my downfall..."

"Draco's coming home for Christmas, Draco's coming home for Christmas!" you sang cheerily, as you dashed around the house with Harry decorating all the rooms with Christmas ornamentation.  
>"Would you stop your singing already?" Harry laughed. "You're giving me a bloody headache, Darcy."<br>"Oh hush! I have a _lovely_ voice," you replied, as you attached a piece of mistletoe over the arch of the sitting room door. "I am just so excited! I couldn't even sleep last night..." she sighed, dreamily.  
>"Yeah, I know. You came wandering into my room to talk all night, remember?" Harry said bitterly, looking particularly exhausted.<br>"Well I couldn't just lay on my bed in silence. I had to talk to someone or I might have exploded," you chuckled, "And you wouldn't have wanted that to happen, would you mate?"  
>"I'm not so sure, sometimes," Harry said jokingly.<br>You shot him a quick, nasty look before changing the subject, "Anyways... we were pretty lucky that Dumbledore made Snape go to Diagon Alley and pick up the presents on our list yesterday, huh? I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get everyone their gifts for Christmas."  
>"Yes, but now I think Snape hates us even more than he already does, after that whole pancake incident," Harry responded, "He keeps glaring at me every time I walk by him. I'm afraid he's going to throw an ornament at me or something!"<br>You chuckled, "Oh he is just being a little cranky that's all. He won't try anything with Dumbledore around though, so I wouldn't worry. And I'm sure he'll cheer up when he sees the present I got him."  
>"You got Snape a present?" Harry asked incredulously, "Why on earth would you do that?"<br>"Erm- I don't know, maybe because he saved my life _twice_ and is my godfather," you said sarcastically.  
>"Oh yeah..." Harry mumbled, "I always seem to forget that part."<p>

The usually sinister looking rooms of Twelve Grimmauld Place actually looked surprisingly festive after you and Harry had finished hanging up all the decorations. In the sitting room there was even a large evergreen tree set up, decorated with enchanted blinking red and green lights and dozens of sparkly glass ornaments. Underneath the tree were a mass of presents from you, Harry, Dumbledore, some other Order members who had stopped by, and there were shockingly even a few addressed from Snape. Everyone else's gifts would join them when they arrived. Also adding to the overall wonderful atmosphere of the house, it had snowed outside making it a beautiful white Christmas indeed. "Ahh... I love Christmas," you sighed, admiring your work with Harry on the couch while sipping on a mug of steaming hot cocoa with marshmallows, "It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!"  
>Harry laughed, "It's a brilliant holiday," he agreed, taking a sip from his own mug.<br>"I wonder when everyone is getting here," you thought out loud, "I want to see them all so bad," you said with a definite note of impatience in your tone.  
>"Well, you won't be waiting too much longer, Miss Darcy," Dumbledore smiled, walking into the room, "I just received word that they will be arriving within the hour."<p>

_Bing, Bing_. You launched yourself instantly from the couch, causing Harry to spill his hot cocoa all over his lap in the process, at the sound of the doorbell. The sound of Mrs. Black's portrait screaming didn't even faze you in the least as you rushed over the doorway. With great enthusiasm you swung the front door open and nearly burst with happiness when you saw Draco standing in front of you. His platinum blonde hair was combed neatly to the side with only a few loose strands falling over his dazzling, ice blue eyes. He had a small bruise on his cheek and he looked a tad more muscular than he had when you last saw him, but other than that he looked exactly the same. "Draco!" you cried, throwing your arms around his neck and burying your head into his shoulder. You felt his arms tighten around your waist and lift you right up off your feet and spin you around in joy. After a few moments you loosened your embrace and he leaned in to kiss you passionately on the lips. '_This is bliss..._' you thought to yourself as you pressed your body closer to his, never wanting to let go of him ever again. Finally you ended your kiss and looked straight up into his enchanting eyes, "I have missed you so much Draco," you whispered.  
>"I've missed you too, Anna," he replied, kissing you on the forehead sweetly.<p>

"Would you two get a room?" a voice called out, "You're blocking the bloody doorway and it is snowing out here!" Draco released you from his arm and you looked around him to see Blaise with his arms crossed in front of his chest and a mock indignant expression on his face. Next to him stood Ron, Hermione, Raven, Neville Longbottom, and Remus Lupin with a pile of gifts balanced in his arms, each with a bright smile on their face.  
>"Oh Blaise, I've missed you!" you exclaimed, ignoring his earlier comment and nearly jumping on top of him.<br>He hugged you back and kissed you quickly on the cheek, "I've been going crazy without my best friend," he laughed, winking at you.  
>"He really has," Raven laughed, "He almost talks about you as much as Draco and that's saying something."<br>"Hey mates!" Harry yelled excitedly, finally making his appearance. But as soon as he arrived everyone burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked.  
>"Erm- did you have an accident, Harry?" Ron asked, with a smirk on his face. "Your pants are bit moist," he pointed to the spot where you had caused Harry to spill his hot cocoa.<br>Harry's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment, "I'm just going to go change my pants real quick-," he said, before dashing up the stairs.

"You and Harry did a marvelous job with this place," Mrs. Weasley commented, when she walked into the sitting room with a plate of cookies. You had all gathered around the Christmas tree to talk and catch up after so long. Shortly after Draco and the others arrived, so did Luna and Ginny, fresh off the Hogwarts Express. Luna and Harry's salutation was very much like yours and Draco's.  
>"Thank you Mrs. Weasley!" you replied, with a wide smile from your spot beside Draco on the loveseat. He had one of his arms wrapped around your waste and your head was resting comfortably on his shoulder. Ginny and Blaise were sitting on the floor playing a game of Wizard's Chess while Ron watched on and tried to coach them. Harry and Luna were sitting closely together on the couch, Hermione and Raven were beside them talking about a book they had both read, and Neville had fallen asleep leaning up against the couch on the floor. It was a wonderful, cozy little scene. The people you loved most in the world were all gathered around a glittering Christmas tree and warm fireplace on Christmas Eve...<p>

"How have you been?" you asked Draco, gripping his free hand in yours. "I have been so worried about you."  
>"I've been okay," he answered, with an assuring smile, "Just missing you like crazy," he laughed, kissing you quickly on the lips for nearly the hundredth time that night. "But I have run into too much trouble yet. Blaise and I were sent out to try and recruit giants to our side with Hagrid. A nasty bunch they are, but every time they try to take a swipe at me they usually miss... not the most intelligent creatures," he finished, with a small shrug.<br>"Then how did you get this?" you asked, brushing over the bruise on his cheek lightly with your fingers.  
>Draco looked down at his shoes as if embarrassed. "I wish I could tell you some brave war story or something like that, but uh- well I got it when Blaise threw one of Hagrid's rock cakes at me..." Draco trailed off and you burst into hysterical laughter, causing him to shove you playfully.<br>"So what did everyone else get sent to do?" you asked curiously, "I've just been cleaning and translating papers for four months," you said resentfully.  
>"Well... Hermione stuck with Remus Lupin, kind of like his assistant I think. And Raven got stuck having to follow around Moody for a month and then he joined us," this little piece of information made you chuckle a little. You couldn't even imagine having to spend a month with Mad-Eye Moody, who was even loonier than you. "Yeah, he didn't exactly enjoy that," Draco said, reading your mind. "Ron worked in his father's office and helped Charlie over in Romania with the dragons. Neville has actually been out in battle, I think. He was helping out McGonagall and I think that they ran into some trouble." Your eyes traveled over to Neville who was sleeping soundly on the floor. It just hit you how exhausted he truly looked; he probably hadn't had a good night's sleep in months. He also looked much older to you and definitely a lot skinnier.<br>"I wish I could have been out there with you guys... I feel like I am doing nothing to help," you admitted sadly.  
>"Never feel like that, Anna," Draco responded, pulling you tighter to him. "I know if you could be out there you would and everyone else does too. You're bloody fearless, love," he chuckled. "Besides, holding down the fort and translating important papers is definitely an important job," he added.<br>"Hmm..." you mumbled, "I like the way you put that. Holding down the fort, huh? Sounds a hell of a lot better than '_I clean the house all day_'," you smiled and kissed Draco again. "Merlin, I have missed you."

"_Ooh_ goody!" Mrs. Weasley squealed, dashing through the sitting room from the kitchen. "Dumbledore says the boys have just arrived, right in time for Christmas Eve dinner too!" she explained. "Ronald get off your duff and come greet your brothers and father," she demanded sternly, and Ron was immediately on his feet, closely followed by Ginny. The rest of you stood up as well, you especially were eager to see Bill again.  
>The front door opened up and Mr. Weasley came walking in dressed in his official Ministry robes, followed closely behind Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks, whose hair was green and red in the Christmas spirit. Behind them entered Bill, Charlie, and to your shock Percy Weasley. Bill beamed when he noticed you standing near the door, you waved happily to him and he winked back. You were just about to run over and give him a big hug, when the emergence of two more people stopped you dead in your tracks. Your jaw nearly dropped to floor when you saw Oliver Wood and Roger Davies standing in front of you side by side. '<em>This is going to be an interesting Christmas...<em>'


	82. Chapter 82

"Why if it isn't Anna Darcy!" Roger exclaimed, flashing his pearly white, perfect smile at you. "It has been way too long since I have seen you last," he added, walking over and pulling you into warm hug.  
>"It's good to see you too, Davies. I didn't know you had joined the Order! What else are you up to these days? Still finding time to keep playing Quidditch I hope," you responded.<br>"Of course! What else would I be doing?" he replied, with a wink. "I'm back-up chaser for the Chudley Cannons," he said with a proud smile, "I'm the youngest person they've ever let on the team!"  
>"That's wonderful Roger," you said, genuinely happy for him. "It must suck that Oliver is starting for Puddlemere though, eh? I bet he's rubbed that one in your face a few times," you chuckled.<br>"You have no bloody idea," Roger muttered bitterly, making you laugh again. "Sometimes I just want to knock that perfect little git out with a bludger," he shot Oliver a quick dirty look, before walking past you to greet the other Order members.

Your stomach tied into an uncomfortable knot as soon as Roger walked past you because it meant there was no one else between you and Oliver. He was standing by the closed front door, with his hands in his pocket. His chocolate brown eyes were staring intently at you and there was an expression on his face that you couldn't read for the life of you. For a little while you just stared back at him in awkward silence unsure of what to say. "Hello, Oliver," you finally managed.  
>"Anna," he replied, with a curt nod of his head. "How have you been?" he asked, with a tone of forced politeness that made you uncomfortable.<br>"Good," you answered, "It gets a little boring around here, but overall I've been good. How about you?"  
>"I've been better," he answered, "But then again I've been worse," he added, with a note of resentment in his voice, which made it clear to you he was talking about the day you left him.<br>"Look, Oliver..." you began to apologize for what probably was the hundredth time, but he quickly cut you off with an exasperated wave of his hand.  
>"Don't tell me your sorry anymore, Anna. I don't want to hear it. Just go sit with your new boyfriend," you noticed him glare in Draco's direction, before walking away from you and into the kitchen. Your eyes followed as he went and pain welled up in your heart. You wished that he could he forgive you for what you had done to him, but at the same time you knew he might never be able to. His heart was broken because of you. Though your heart had always belonged to Draco, you missed the days when you and Oliver had been attached at the hip. Despite everything you two had been through you so desired to be his friend once again.<p>

"I have never been glared at so much in my life..." Draco whispered in your ear, when you sat back down beside of him. You gave him an incredulous look, "Well okay maybe I _have_, but it is still bloody uncomfortable," he corrected, while trying to avoid the death stares that Oliver had been sending his way all through dinner.  
>"Sorry," you quietly apologized, "I had no idea he was going to be here... hell, I didn't even know he had joined the Order," you admitted. "You'd think he'd be over me by now," you sighed.<br>"Well, you're a hard girl to get over, love," Draco responded, "I never did get over you," he smiled and kissed you lightly on the forehead.  
>Your cheeks turned a little pink at his comment, "I never got over you either, you know that right?" you asked.<br>"I do now," he said, taking your hand in his.

Never in your life had you ever felt so perfect as you did that night after dinner despite Oliver's sudden appearance. You had been completely exhausted after dinner and decided to go to bed early so you could wake up bright and early on Christmas morning. You and Draco had both hopped into your bed and for the first time in months you didn't feel completely alone. His strong arms wrapped around your small body and pulled you close him. The feeling of his warm breath hitting the back of your neck sent pleasant chills down your spine as you drifted off to what you thought would be the first good night's sleep in a long time...

It was so dark that you could not even see your hand a few inches in front of your face. A cold, biting breeze was rushing in through somewhere making you shiver violently. You hugged yourself to try to keep warm, but it was no good. Then suddenly there was a loud crash and a noise that sounded faintly like a man laughing. But it was not an ordinary laugh like you were used to hearing; it was a cruel, vindictive one that made your stomach squirm uneasily. "If you're going to kill me why don't you just go ahead and do it?" a fierce, female voice sounded out through the blackness around you. "I am not scared of you, you know that?" but there was definitely false bravery in the voice. You could hear the petrified quiver in her voice; whoever she was, she was in trouble.  
>"Oh I will get to that soon enough," a man's voice responded calmly, "But right now I want to ask you a few questions."<br>"You won't get anything out of me!" the girl screamed. "Nothing!" she yelled again, "My friends will find me! They will hunt you down and they will make you pay, they always do," she continued; slowly gaining more confidence in herself with every word she spoke.  
>The man sniggered, "Oh poor child, are you really that dense? No one is going to find you here. You're all alone. You're going to die alone in this place, doesn't that scare you?" he asked.<br>"I'm not alone," she replied, "I am never truly alone..."

With a small gasp you woke abruptly to find yourself still buried in complete darkness. Sweat was dripping down your forehead, your heart was beating far too fast for your comfort, and your throat was parched to the point where you could barely swallow. Your head was pounding rapidly and you knew that you had just had another one of your dreams, but you couldn't remember the details of it. Reluctantly you untangled yourself from Draco's warm grasp and stepped out of your bed; you shivered as your bare feet touched the cold wooden floor below you. After slipping on a pair of socks, you stealthily made your way down the stairs, so as to not wake anybody up. When you reached the kitchen, however, you were surprised to see that it was not empty. "What are you doing up, Anna?" Oliver asked, looking at you curiously from the table. He had rather larger slice of chocolate cake in front of him and a fork in his hand, but it didn't look like he had touched it yet.  
>"Thirsty," you replied, shortly, as you ran your fingers through your wavy hair in an attempt to make it lie flat.<br>"Oh," he nodded. "I just got kind of hungry," he explained, gesturing toward the cake as you poured yourself a glass of water.  
>"Gotta love midnight snacks," you replied, with a weak smile as you sat down across from him.<br>He smiled back, but his expression quickly became grim again. "I hate seeing you with Malfoy," he blurted out suddenly, catching you slightly off guard. "Well... to be fair, I would hate seeing you with anyone else," he added, nervously wringing his hands together in front of him.  
>"Oliver..." you sighed, but he stopped you.<br>"No, Anna. Let me talk this time," he said calmly. "It's been over two years now and I have yet to have a really serious relationship since you, I mean I have tried, but I just can't seem to let you go. I loved you Anna Darcy, I _loved_ you. And knowing that you still have my ring with you, well- well it just gives me hope," he sighed, pain radiating from his chocolate brown eyes.  
>"Oliver, we're over," you said firmly, "We have been over for a long time," you added, sitting down at the table across from him. "I never should have kept that ring," you said more to yourself than Oliver, at this you pulled your wand out of your back pocket and whispered a simple spell under your breath. Within a few seconds a small, glimmering gold ring came shooting at you from the staircase and you caught it easily in your hand. "Here you go Oliver," you said holding the ring out in the palm of your hand, "Merry Christmas."<br>"This isn't exactly the present I was hoping for," he mumbled, looking thoroughly disappointed with the gesture.  
>"I think this is the best present that I can give you, Oliver," you said honestly. "I'm giving you back your heart, so that you can give it to someone else, someone who deserves it more than me. I know you'll find some gorgeous Quidditch fanatic to spend the rest of your life with," you laughed, "And I am also giving you a new friend," you added with a smile, as Oliver took the promise ring from you. "Can we please just be friends?" she pleaded, hopefully.<br>Oliver looked apprehensive for a moment, but he eventually reached out his hand to grasp yours, "Friends," he agreed with a bittersweet sort of smile.  
>"Brilliant!" you exclaimed happily. "You don't want to be pining away for a gal like me anyways, I am a bit of a nutter," she said with a wink, "Still don't know how Draco puts up with me sometimes."<br>"Mmm... He's a brave man," Oliver laughed.  
>"Shut it, Wood," you joked, slapping him on the arm, "And give me that fork, if you're not going to eat that cake I am," you declared, eyeing the moist slice of chocolate cake in front of you.<br>Immediately he tossed the fork across the table, "I know better than to get in the way of Anna Darcy and her food," he chuckled.

"Good morning, love!" you shouted cheerfully, just as the sun rose up from behind the mountains. You practically jumped on top of Draco, who was still sleeping soundly, in excitement.  
>"Wha- what in bloody hell?" he muttered, trying to blink open his eyes to see who had woken him up, only to see you straddling him with a bright smile on your face. "Anna... what time is it?" he asked, trying to glance over at the clock beside your bed.<br>"It's _Christmas_ time!" you replied, "Now get up, I want to open my presents," you ordered.  
>"Can I have my first present now?" Draco asked, with a mischievous smirk on his face that told you exactly what he was thinking.<br>"No, no that is going to have to wait until tonight I'm afraid," you winked, "But I can give you a little preview," you said seductively. You leaned over and planted a soft, but passionate kiss on Draco's lips. You ran your fingers through his long blonde hair and over his muscular chest. His hands grasped tightly to your waist and he began to pull down onto the bed when the door swung open with a loud creak.  
>"Alright kiddies, let's keep the kissing to a minimum. We're all waiting for you two lovebirds downstairs," a deep voice laughed from the doorway. Draco practically threw you off him and onto the floor in surprise when he saw the large and intimidating Kingsley Shacklebolt standing there. He was the one who had run the summer boot camp that all D.A. members were required to go to. He had been extremely tough on you and the majority of you had been scared of him ever since.<br>"Sorry- sorry sir, just got a little caught up in the Christmas spirit," Draco chuckled, nervously as you glared at him from the floor.  
>Kingsley smiled, "I was young once as well, remember?" he said, "Just remember to lock the door next time," and with that he left.<br>"Thanks for throwing me off the bed, dear," you said unappreciatively, your arms crossed in front of your chest. "After that I _highly_ doubt you will be getting any tonight," you said in mock anger, turning on your heel and marching out the room.

A scared look came to Draco's face, "No, wait! Wait Anna, I'm sorry!" he apologized, swiftly following after you.

The atmosphere of the house was absolutely enchanting when you walked down the stairs on that Christmas day. The sweet aroma of cooking sausages, blueberry muffins, and toast smothered in marmalade reached your nose in such a tantalizing blend that it almost made your mouth water. Silver tinsel, blinking lights, and sparkly snowflakes adorned the walls and tree was lit brightly in the corner with what looked like at least a hundred perfectly wrapped presents sitting at its base. All of your friends were gathered around on the plush couches, the floor, and various chairs that had been added to the room in order to accommodate everyone. They were eating, drinking, laughing, and chatting away about anything and everything that one could think of. "I love Christmas," you sighed wistfully, just taking in the scene before you.  
>"Ah, Anna Darcy and Draco Malfoy! Where on earth have you two buggers been? Almost all the food is gone," Luna informed you from atop Harry's lap on one of the armchairs.<br>"No!" you shouted dramatically at the news, "The food... is _gone_?" your eyes were wide with fear.  
>"Oh no dear, there is plenty left," Mrs. Weasley chuckled, shoving a plate of steaming food at you and Draco. You sighed a deep sigh of relief and the color came back to your face, as Luna began to laugh hysterically.<p>

When everyone had finished his or her food, the time for opening present finally came. The scene became one of utter chaos as everyone dashed toward the tree to find the boxes and bags that had their names written on the front. Wrapping papers was flying everywhere and a loud chorus of "_Thank you!_" and "_Oh I love it!_" could be heard from every corner of the room.

You looked joyfully at the presents in front of you: a pile of Honeyduke's and Zonko's gift cards, a book of things to do when you're bored from Hermione, a new sweater from Luna, a mound of sweets, a traditional Weasley sweater with a large 'A' on the front, and quite a few books from your old professors. There were only three gifts in front of you that you had yet to open, which were from Dumbledore, Snape, and Draco. Something told you that these three gifts would be the most special ones of all the other ones you had been given, so you kept them for last. You reached out and picked up Snape's, which was a tiny box wrapped in a very, bland dark green paper with a small, slightly crushed red bow on top. Quickly you ripped of the paper to reveal a small black box with your name engraved on the top, you opened up the lid and pulled out a small vile containing a light gold potion inside with a note attached to it:

_"Use this wisely and use this safely. Sometimes we all need a bit of luck to get us through the day and this will give you that. Merry Christmas Anna."_

You inspected the vile more closely to figure out the potion that it contained inside. "Oh Merlin! This is liquid luck," you exclaimed to yourself, "This is Felix Felicis," you continued excitedly. You had read about this potion in books before, but never did you ever imagine that you would actually get to use it. It was one of the most complicated potions to make of all time. You looked up and your eyes locked with your godfather's, you nodded to him in a silent thank you and he smiled back understanding your meaning. Next you picked up the gift from Dumbledore, feeling a little nervous about opening it up. Something about Dumbledore giving you a present for Christmas made you feel a little funny; you couldn't even imagine what he had bought for you. You tore open the brightly colored wrapping paper to reveal a long black box that looked as if it held jewelry inside. '_Did he get me a necklace?_' you wondered, a little confused. With anticipation you removed the lid and then gasped at what you saw. On a dark leather chain hung a large jade stone that was cut in the shape of a diamond and engraved on the front in ancient runes. You translated the foreign symbols to read...

_"Only as one can we conquer"_

You titled your head in mystification, speculating why Dumbledore had given you this and what it actually did. "Hey, have you opened my gift yet, love? Because I was hoping we could open each other's together," Draco explained, sitting behind you on the floor against the wall and wrapping his arms around you. You leaned back and rested against his chest.  
>"No, not yet," you answered, "I like to save the best for last, you know," you laughed, kissing him on the cheek.<br>"What's that?" he asked curiously, spotting the ancient-looking jade necklace in your hands.  
>"I'm not really sure..." you replied honestly, "Dumbledore gave it to me, it says only as one can we conquer," she shrugged.<br>"You know what, that looks a lot like one of the presents that Harry got. Did Dumbledore get you two matching necklaces or something?" Draco asked, with an amused smile on his face.  
>"Ah- but they are so much more than matching necklaces, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said, suddenly appearing out of seemingly thin air, catching you and Draco both completely off guard. "This my dear is Admonitio Stone. It serves as a sort of warning signal between two or more people that are connected in a certain way. They are extremely rare nowadays, Mr. Malfoy if you open up my gift you will find one very similar to this," he added.<br>"Oh... oh yeah! I forgot you gave me something," he pulled a long, wrapped box that looked identical to yours out of the bag of presents that he had with him. He opened it up to find a necklace that looked exactly like yours except there was stunning brown and yellow cat's eye stone on the end of the chain; however, it was engraved with the same inscription. "Whoa!" Draco exclaimed, picking it up out of the box and holding it in front of his face to inspect it closer.  
>"You guys got one too?" Harry asked, as he showed up as well. In his hand was the same necklace once again, but with a bright turquoise stone on the end of his instead. "Professor... if you don't mind me asking," Harry said cautiously, "What the hell do these do?"<br>Dumbledore laughed, "I was just explaining this to your friends here, sit down Harry," he said. Dumbledore himself sat down on the floor in front of you Indian-style and folded his hands in his lap. "As I previously said these are Admonitio Stones and they are tremendously rare, I had to go through great pains to retrieve them for you three. They will serve as a warning stone. When one of you is in trouble your stone will glow quite vividly to alert to their dangers. All three of you are connected by your similar fates and the prophecies made concerning you all long ago, these stones will only work for those linked in such a way. As long as you three wear these you will never truly be alone," he smiled, looking fondly at each of you. "Each different stone is a protection talisman-" he pointed to the three radiant stones on each of your necklaces, "-but each means something different. The stone chooses the person, the person does not choose the stone, very much like your wands," he explained. "Draco you were given the chrysoberyl cat's eye stone; it involves discipline, self-control, patience, and clear-thinking. Harry you received the turquoise stone, which represents reliability, self-confidence, and the ability to ward of dark spirits. And finally Anna, you have obtained the jade stone, which represents war, justice, wisdom, courage, and the desire for harmony. These are the qualities the stone will help to provide you with when the final battle comes. With these you will be prepared for anything. Use them well and keep them safe," he advised, with a small smile, "And Merry Christmas."

"Wow... these stones are wicked," you exclaimed excitedly, putting yours around your neck.  
>"Yeah, they are pretty amazing," Harry said, "But I have never been one to wear jewelry," he said unsurely, "And mine is such a girly color. Why did you two get the cool ones?"<br>"What are you talking about? I like yours!" you responded.  
>"Yeah, because you're a <em>girl<em>," Harry countered.  
>"Oh hush up and put it on, Potter," you laughed, "Remember what Dumbledore said, while we are wearing these we are never really alone."<br>"That's definitely a comforting thought," Draco commented, putting his own around his neck. "Especially when we're separated," he said while wrapping his arms tighter around your body.  
>Harry smiled, "Alright, alright... I'm putting it on," he chuckled. "Merry Christmas mates," he said, kissing you on the cheek and patting Draco on the shoulder before walking back over to where Luna was sitting.<p>

"Well, my present may not compare to these," Draco sighed referring to the talismans, "But it is the thought that counts, right? I really do hope that you will like it," he said hopefully, resting his chin on your shoulder.  
>"I'm sure I will love it, whatever it may be," you said as you finally picked up the present Draco had gotten you. "Remember, I tried really hard too," you laughed, as he picked up yours.<br>He smiled, "I know you did, Anna. Let's open them at the same time, okay?" he suggested.  
>"Sure," you agreed. "One, two..." but before you could finish the countdown he started to rip open the wrapping paper excitedly, "Hey, you cheated!" you exclaimed, giving him a mock glare.<br>"Oh wow Anna, this is great..." he whispered, looking down at the present you had given him with wide eyes. It was a long, coal black coat made out of a very soft, warm material. It had gold stitches around the outside and was embroidered in gold thread with a cursive '_D.M._' for Draco Malfoy in one of the corners.  
>"Do you really like it?" you asked, "I made it myself, you know. I figured that you might have to go somewhere cold when you're on a mission and this is the warmest fabric I could find..." you began to ramble a little.<br>"_Shh..._" Draco cut you off, placing his finger to your lips, "I love it," he said firmly and honestly. "And I love that you took the time to make it for me yourself as well," he added, kissing you sweetly on the lips.  
>You smiled and blushed bright pink, "I'm glad. Now, it's my turn!" you proclaimed. Slowly you unwrapped the first part of the present that was covered with bright silver wrapping paper. "Erm... Draco, what is this?" you asked at a complete loss. There was a small gray box and inside was a piece of scrap paper with the date 'February 28th' written on it.<br>Draco beamed, "Unwrap the second one and I think that you'll understand a little better," he instructed. You did as he said and unwrapped the second part of the gift. When you finally saw what was behind the colorful paper you nearly fainted...


	83. Chapter 83

"Whoa! Whoa, are you okay Anna?" Draco asked when concerned, when you nearly fainted on top of him. Your heart was racing and you were finding it a little hard to breathe as you looked at the present Draco had given you. "Okay, this wasn't exactly the reaction I was hoping for," Draco sighed, fanning you a little. "I will take it back if you want me to," he offered sadly.  
>"No!" you exclaimed, quickly recovering from your dizzy spell, "No, Draco... It is absolutely wonderful," you sighed, looking at it more closely. It was a lace trim card decorated with elegant ivory hearts, cherubs, and roses. In the center of all the gorgeous trimming was the following passage:<p>

"_We have the joy of inviting you to share in a celebration of love and be present at our marriage ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, the twenty-eighth of February of this year, at two o'clock in the afternoon.  
>The ceremony will take place in the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in London, England.<br>You are also cordially invited to join us for the reception given in our honor at the same location, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_With Love  
>Draco and Anna<em>"

A silver tear trickled from your honey eye and down your freckled cheek as you read the flowing script for probably the third time. "I checked with Dumbledore, he said that Hogwarts would be the perfect place to have it. I know you always loved the enchanted ceiling and since anywhere else might be too dangerous, I figured that..." but you cut him off.  
>"Draco, you are the most amazing man I have ever met," you whispered, a bright smile on your face that you couldn't get rid of ever if you tried. "We're going to get married, in February!" you exclaimed, elation flowing through your body as you said the words out loud.<br>He smiled and a look of relief appeared on his face at your words. "Oh, I am so glad that you are happy," he said honestly, brushing a piece of your dirty blonde hair out of your face. He cupped your cheek in his hand and pulled you gently down toward him until his lips met yours in a soft, tender kiss that sent pleasant butterflies into your stomach. You wrapped your arms around his neck and held tight to him, feeling reluctant to ever let him go again. The kiss finally ended, but the two of you did not detach yourselves from each other's arms. Your faces were close together as you stared deeply into his translucent blue eyes as if you were in a trance, "I love you Mrs. Malfoy," he told you barely above a whisper, "I will always love you."

"Anna! Draco! Stop snogging and get over here!" Harry yelled across the room, "We got a present from Colin Creevey, it's the D.A. scrapbook," he explained, holding up a leather bound book.  
>"Coming!" you said cheerily, grabbing hold of Draco's hand and practically skipping across the room in happiness. You were bursting from the inside; you wanted tell everyone yours and Draco's news.<br>"Hah! Look at Anna!" Blaise teased, pointing at a picture of you on the ground after Harry had practiced a stunning spell on you in front of the class. The picture was taken before you had discovered that putting a few pillows behind you could break your fall quite nicely. Your body was sprawled out on the floor, your arms were up over your head, and there was a sort of dazed on your face.  
>"Yeah, I wouldn't talk Blaise. This isn't the most flattering picture of you, mate," you pointed out a picture of him doing a weird sort of dance with Padma Patil's pink, furry hat on his head.<br>"Oh jeez... I must have been drunk," he reasoned, and you all laughed and shook your head in agreement.

For a while you all sat around, crowding on top of each other, to get a view of the scrapbook. Laughs filled the room as you observed the brief glimpses of the past. However, the fun was rapidly ending when Raven saw something that made him jump in shock. "What the hell?" he whispered, looking like he had just seen a ghost, his face went deathly pale.  
>"What? What's wrong Raven?" you asked with concern, he was breathing very quickly and you thought he might collapse.<br>"Who is that?" he asked slowly, pointing to a picture of the sandy-haired, freckled boy Seamus Finnegan who was sitting on the floor chatting away with Dean Thomas in the picture.  
>"That, that's Seamus Finnegan," Ginny replied simply, "That picture is before he dyed his hair and all that," she explained further.<br>"I know why he dyed his hair," Raven muttered, looking angrier at every word that he spoke. "This arse is a bloody traitor!" he declared, shooting up from his seat, "He did it! He ratted out Zacharias' family and then the Abbotts! And the Patil sister's parents were attacked and Susan Bone's aunt! Neville's grandmother! It was all this git right here!" At this point every single person in the room had turned to stare at Raven as he spoke loudly, his voice echoing of the walls.  
>"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, "It is only Seamus, he's on our side," he said confused.<br>"No, no he's not! I saw this guy! He used to come to the headquarters and relay information with Freddie Martin about all of you!" Raven said, pointing collectively to everyone in the room. "I would recognize him anywhere, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a think Irish accent! He has been pulling the wool over our eyes, he is betraying us all!" Raven pounded the wall with his fist in passionate anger.

Slowly the words that Raven said starting sink in. Seamus was betraying you? Seamus was a Death Eater... He had done some pretty suspicious things in the past, but you never would have accused him of actually betraying you to the Dark Lord. Plus his name was on the enchanted scroll that everyone in the D.A. had to sign. If he had betrayed you than why didn't he have any boils on his face?

"Oh no..." Hermione whispered, her entire body was shaking violently. In a second she had sprung up of the couch and was sprinting up the staircase toward the bedrooms. You quickly followed after her and everyone else behind you. The adults caught on to the urgency of the situation and they came close on your heels. You stopped in the arch of the doorway and everyone pushed to see over you, but you didn't budge. Hermione was on her knees with the magic scroll in her hand. She waved her wand over it a few times and then all of a sudden tears burst from her dark brown eyes and she collapsed to the ground.  
>"Hermione!" you flew down on your knees and wrapped your arms around her trembling body. You cradled her in your arms gently as everyone watched on from the door, not daring to enter the room. "<em>Let me talk to her<em>," you mouthed to Draco, who proceeded to silently heard everyone away and close the door behind him. "Herms, we're all alone now, you can talk to me," you said in a calm, soothing voice rubbing her back a little to comfort her.  
>"<em>I<em> killed them all," Hermione gasped out, her voice was barely audible through her guilt-filled sobs. "Everyone... my fault," she sputtered out, burying her head in your shoulder in a fit of misery.  
>"<em>Shh<em>... Just stop crying and talk to me so I understand," you urged her, "Has Seamus really been deceiving us?"  
>She nodded gloomily, "Yes, yes he has. I let him see the scroll once and- and I think he disenchanted it then," she explained.<br>"Someone disenchanted it?" you asked in shock, "You mean- you mean that is why he didn't break out in boils?"  
>Hermione nodded again, "He fooled me Anna. He took advantage of me so he could get at the scroll. This is all my bloody fault! My fault!" she screamed, punching the wooden floor. "I hate myself; I shouldn't even be here... I should be thrown out on to the street!" she said in all seriousness.<br>"It is _not_ your fault," you said firmly to her, holding her by her shoulders on both sides. You stared straight into her dark brown eyes and said it again, "It is not your fault, Hermione." She just shook her head not believing your words, "It is _his_ fault! He was the one who chose to betray us and kill all those people!" you shouted, "This is not your fault, Hermione."  
>"Anna is right, Hermione," a cool voice caused both you and her to immediately become silent. Dumbledore was standing there, looking down upon the two of you, with calm look on his face. "Do not blame yourself Miss Granger, the Order has been deceived before, it happens. We will deal with this," he told her, but you didn't hear a word he said. Rage was pulsing through every vein in your body and all you could hear was the pounding of your heart in your ears. The lust for revenge entered you more powerfully than it ever had in your life. Not even when you discovered Freddie has joined Voldemort were you as incensed as you were now. All you wanted to do was leave the house, hunt him down, and make sure he paid for what he had done to your friends. So many were left without their families and now Hermione's world was crashing down around her and it was entirely his fault.<p>

Dumbledore was still speaking to Hermione when you stood up from beside her and walked out of the room. Questions were being thrown at you every which way from the people who were waiting out in the hallway, but you didn't respond to a single one of them. You were in your own world. You headed straight toward your dresser and pulled out a dark cloak you had made for yourself that looked similar to the one you had given Draco for Christmas, but lighter. In a swift motion you wrapped it around your body, over your baggy cargo pants and thin, tight black sweater. As you slipped your feet into your trainers you tied your wavy hair up into a high ponytail. Standing up on your tiptoes you grabbed your wand from the top of the dresser and stuck it into your back pocket. Finally you placed a black, knit hat on your head and a small bag of Christmas sugar cookies that were on your nightstand into your pocket. '_I will make him pay, I am done hiding away in this house,_' you thought as you grabbed your Firebolt and marched out of the room with a scary determination reflecting in your honey brown eyes.


	84. Chapter 84

"Anna! Anna Darcy stop right now!" someone was yelling out from behind you, but you weren't listening. You kept your face looking straight ahead of you as you made your way to the front door. You were stronger than most of the other people your age in the Order and it was time for you to prove that. It had been to long since you had walked outside, too long since you had dueled with the enemy, it had just far too cooped up in that house with Harry.  
>"Anna, what in blue blazes are you doing?" Kingsley exclaimed, grabbing her somewhat roughly by the shoulder and swinging her around to face him. His intense, dark eyes were boring down right into hers as he spoke, "You can't leave Headquarters, it is too dangerous."<br>"I am sick of people saying that! If I am going to die I am going to die. If Harry is going to die he is going to die. If Voldemort," at the mention of the name most of the people around visibly flinched, "is going to die than he is going to bloody die! I don't know why you all are making Harry and I sit in this stupid house and clean when we could be out there ending the bloody war! All of you-" you said pointing to everyone in the room, "-you can't kill Voldemort, don't you understand? You can send a few of his henchmen into Azkaban only to be broken out a week later, but Harry and I are the ones who will either conquer or lose it all. So stop treating us like we are stupid children who need to be protected! And I am not going to be held back why you all _take care_ of this situation. I am going to go find Finnegan myself and I will make him pay! He has killed my friends' families and he has attempted to kill me once, did you know that? Did you know that he tried to kill me? I am not going to be locked away forever!" you shouted at the top of your voice. Everyone else present in the room had gone completely silent and was just staring at you with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Let her go," the voice broke the tension hanging in the air and everyone turned to see Dumbledore had entered the room with a shaken Hermione under his arm, "She is right, we can't lock her up anymore."  
>"But Albus! Albus she is not ready yet. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is one of the strongest wizards to ever live! How can she compete with him?" Molly Weasley protested, tears had welled up in her eyes.<br>"I don't think there is anything else that I or anyone else for that matter can do for her or Harry. They are very strong wizards and I only have confidence in them," he smiled at you as he said it.  
>"I'm going with her!" Harry suddenly shot out, looking like he was going to burst if he didn't get it out soon.<br>"What? No, Harry! You are staying right here in this house where you are safe!" Molly responded resolutely.  
>"You're not his mother, Molly," Remus Lupin said softly, resting his hand gently on her shoulder, "If he wants to go, he can go."<br>"He is as good as my son Remus! I have taken care of this boy for years, I _love_ him!" she shouted back, the tears that had been building up in her eyes finally began to spill out down her cheeks.  
>"I am going to be okay, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, trying to reassure her, "But I have got to leave this house sometime."<br>"This is wrong!" she yelled at everyone around, bordering on hysterical by this point. "You are going to get these children killed if you let them walk out that door and I will have no part of it!" she marched away and up the stairs, the faint sound of a door slamming could he heard.

There were a few brief moments of stillness until, "Well, I am leaving now, so if anyone is coming with me get your arse moving," you said bluntly, crossing your arms in front of your chest impatiently.  
>"I go where you go, my love," Draco responded, kissing you quickly on the lips before running up to his room to grab his stuff.<br>In the end there was Draco and Harry standing behind you dressed very much like yourself, with their brooms in their hands, and looks of determination on their faces. Since it was up to you three to defeat Voldemort in the end, you decided that you should be the ones to go together.  
>"Bill and Charlie are going to go with you," Arthur Weasley informed you right as you after you had hugged everyone goodbye and were finally about to leave. "And don't complain either," he said as Draco opened his mouth to dispute. Draco still was very insecure and uncomfortable when you and Bill were around each other, ever since he thought he saw you kissing him that one time at Hogwarts. Arthur sighed and ran his finger through his thinning red hair for about the hundredth time, Molly being so upset was causing him to become upset as well. "I just think you need some older wizards with you," he explained.<br>"Alright, all ready to go!" Bill exclaimed, emerging from the kitchen, with Charlie close behind of him. And with that the five of you walked through the front door and out into the real world. You took a deep breath of fresh air and felt more alive in that moment than you had in months. Draco's arm wrapped around your waist and he leaned over to kiss you on the forehead. "How does it feel?" he asked.  
>"Exhilarating," you replied, staring up into the sky to see stars shining. It had been so long since you had last seen the stars. "I missed the stars," you sighed, "They always remind me of you."<p>

Below you rain pounded down in torrents from the dark, murky sky as the five of you flew through the sky under the cover of darkness, over the clouds. Though you were above most of the rain your clothes had become completely drenched from the moisture hanging in the air. Your entire body was shaking violently, your lips were dark blue, and your hands were pretty much frozen to your broomstick by this point. "Are we almost there?" you croaked to Harry who was leading the way up ahead of you. He was the only one who had ever been to the apartment that Seamus and Dean shared outside of Hogsmeade. "Another hour or so," Harry yelled back over his shoulder and your heart dropped, you just wanted it to end. You could feel yourself becoming a little ill as you continued to fly. You were of a lot thinner build than the guys with you and got cold a lot easier.  
>"Are you feeling okay?" Draco asked with concern, reaching over one of his hands and rubbing you on the back. "Oh Merlin, you feel like ice!" he exclaimed, as he ran his hand over your arm. "We have got to stop, you are going to get sick," he said; worry shining in his blue eyes. Before you could tell him that you were fine, even though you really weren't, Draco had flown up ahead of you where Bill, Charlie, and Harry were. "We need to stop for the night, Anna is getting deathly ill back there. She feels like ice to the touch," Draco explained and the three others boys looked back with worry.<br>"Alright, we are touching down here. I think that there is an inn nearby that we can stay at," Bill said, flying back until he was next to you. "Get on my broom," he told you, "You're not going to make it down like that."  
>You know he meant well by the comment, but you felt a little offended by it. "I am fine," you snapped, "I can touch down just fine." You didn't want anyone trying to take care of you, not even Draco most of the time.<br>"Alright, sorry for trying to help. No need to snap at me," Bill responded, looking a little hurt.  
>"Look, I didn't mean it like that," you apologized, your voice shaking a little as you shivered. "I just want to take care of myself," you explained, before the five of you dived through the rain clouds and down on to the earth.<p>

You were so thankful when you finally walked into the inn. Immediately you crumpled down on to the couch in the lobby in a soaked, trembling heap. You purposely avoided looking into a mirror; you could only imagine what you looked like right now. "I am sorry I didn't notice how cold you were sooner," Draco said, as he sat beside you on the couch. He pulled a blanket of the back of the couch and wrapped it around your body before pulling your head on to his lap. A little warmth ran through your body as you huddled close to him. His hand stroked your wet, tangled hair gently as Charlie tried to book you all a room. "I should've noticed," he sighed.  
>"Not your fault," was all you managed to stutter out in reply.<br>"We got a room!" Charlie yelled to Draco after a few minutes, but you barely heard him. All you could concentrate on was how cold you felt. You felt Draco pick you up bridal style, usually you would have told him to put you down, but you felt so weak at that moment that you could barely keep your head up. A creaking noise could be heard, which you figured was the opening of the door and then suddenly you felt yourself be laid down on to a comfortable bed. You blinked your eyes open a little to see Draco removing your cloak and the sweater you were wearing. He undressed you slowly, gently, and respectfully, while replacing you sodden clothes with a large warm t-shit of his and a pair of pajama pants someone must have bought in the gift shop for you.  
>"Thank you, love," you managed to sputter out to him, before drifting out of consciousness into a deep sleep.<p>

"She's sick," Bill's voice sighed. Your eyes were still closed shut, but you could hear them speaking in the background about you. "We should probably get her to St. Mungo's; she is as pale as a ghost."  
>"She's not going to like that. Just give her a few more minutes and we'll see if she comes to," Draco suggested.<br>"I am fine," you muttered, pushing yourself up off the bed with a great amount of effort. "I am just a little tired," you assured them, as you stood up from the bed. But quickly you sunk back down in frailty. Draco immediately jumped to your side and wrapped his strong arms around you.  
>"Oh sure, you look fine to me," Bill said sarcastically, "Annie, you can't even stand," he said seriously.<br>Draco's head snapped around from you to Bill and he sent a death glare at Bill, "Don't call her Annie," he hissed. You weren't exactly sure why he cared if Bill called you Annie or not, but jealousy was shining in his eyes.  
>"I can call her whatever I bloody want to Malfoy!" Bill snapped back.<br>"She is Anna to you!" Draco yelled back.  
>"She doesn't mind if I call her Annie, so why should you?"<br>"Because she is mine Bill, that's why!"  
>"You don't own her!"<br>"She's my fiancée! And I love her!  
>"Both of you shut up," you broke in, in a terribly weak tone of voice. "You don't own me Draco, so don't pretend like you do. And you," you said pointing to Bill, "Don't call me Annie, my foster father called me Annie," you whispered sadly. The nickname painfully reminded you of your dead foster family. Bill and Draco's heads bowed in shame and they both looked contrite, "Now I'm fine," you continued, standing up again and this time actually managing to stay on your feet.<p>

"Okay, here is the plan," Charlie spoke to the rest of you who were, "We're going to split up into three groups and surround the house, so Seamus can't get away. I will go to the front door, Draco and Harry I want you both to scale the two sides of the house, and Anna and Bill I want you two keep watch at the back of the house." Draco's eyebrows furrowed and you knew he was almost certainly upset about you and Bill being paired together. "Alright, let's get going then!"  
>"Draco, relax," you whispered quietly in his ear, "I love you remember?" you said, reading his mind.<br>"I know, I know," he mumbled, "I love you too. Be careful out there, okay?" he said, sweetly pecking you on the lips.  
>"I always am," you replied, with a wink. "I've got to be intact for our wedding, right?" you smiled and he beamed back.<p>

"You look miserable," Bill said bluntly, as the two of you trekked through the dense forest that stood behind Seamus and Dean's apartment building. It took everything you had in you not to collapse down on to the ground and your anguish was starting to show on your face no matter how hard you tried to hide it. "Do you need help? It takes a big person to admit they need help, you know."  
>You glared at him, but you weren't really upset with him, you were more upset with yourself for what you were about to say. "Do you think I could have a piggy back?" you asked feebly.<br>Bill smiled, "I thought you would never ask, Miss Darcy," he said sweetly. He knelt down and you wrapped your arms around his neck. When he lifted you up off your feet relief shot through your body and your muscles relaxed, you were thankful that Bill was so strong. "So you and Malfoy are engaged now, huh?" Bill asked after a little while longer of walking.  
>"Yeah, since June now," you responded, "We set a date too, February 28th. Draco sent out invitations," you explained.<br>"_Hah_! Bet I didn't get one," Bill laughed.  
>"Of course you did! All the Weasley's have to be there or it just wouldn't be a party," you chuckled.<br>Bill smiled, "I'm happy for you, Anna," he told you sincerely.  
>"I'm happy for me too," you answered.<p> 


	85. Chapter 85

'_Where the hell am I?_' you thought silently to yourself as you squinted through the darkness in an attempt to get your bearings, but it was useless. You couldn't even see your hand a few inches away from your face. Desperately you tried to remember what had happened and how you had ended up... well, wherever you were now. Slowly you made to stand up, but a searing pain shot through your body as you tried and your head began to pound excruciatingly. '_What happened to me?_' you thought, utterly confused. No matter how hard you tried, no memories of the day would come back to you. "Hello is anyone out there?" you whispered to the darkness, praying that a friendly voice would answer, but that wasn't the case at all.  
>For a few moments there was no sound at all and then you heard it. Soft footsteps in the darkness slowly drew nearer and nearer to you and with every step your heart beat faster. Suddenly you became aware of how cold it was around you, which made you realize that you were definitely not in the warm Twelve Grimmauld Place and the person approaching you was in all likeliness no friend of yours. "We've never met before, little Anna Bella, but I have heard so much about you," a voice as cold as ice reached your ears and sent an unpleasant shiver down your spine. "I have been searching for you for a long time now, my dear, and now we finally meet," the voice let out a shrill laugh that could've made your ears bleed.<br>"Who the hell are you?" you spat, trying to sound confident, but your voice trembled with every word. Somehow in the back of your mind you knew who it was in front of you; you were just in denial.  
>"You know who I am, Anna. I can read your mind, you see I am skilled Legimens," he responded. As he spoke you felt a strange sensation in your skull that made your head pound even more, this person was invading your thoughts and privacy; you could feel it.<br>"Get out of there!" you demanded, while putting the Occlumency that Snape had taught you to good use. Soon you felt the foreign presence retreat from your mind and you let out a deep sigh of relief.  
>"You're an Occlumens? I suppose Dumbledore taught you that," he hissed, "Well it is time I reveal myself," he sighed, but there was a strange sort of sick excitement in his voice. All of a sudden the darkness was replaced with the warm, golden light of a wand, causing you to close your eyes from the sudden brightness. But when you finally opened them, you wished sincerely that you had not...<p>

"He got away! I can't believe he just got away like that!" Harry pounded his fist on the wall in anger. Only a few moments earlier he had seen Seamus slip into the fireplace and away to who-knows-where.  
>"I am so sorry Harry, I had no idea that he was- I had no idea," Dean sighed, with his head held shamefully in his hand. He looked on the verge of tears as he spoke, his heart was torn up inside at the revelation that his best friend in the world had been betraying him all along.<br>"It isn't your fault, Dean," Draco patted him on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, but there was nothing anyone could do. "I wonder where Anna and Bill are." Draco wondered out loud, the truth is with every passing second he grew more anxious. Something in his heart kept telling him that something was wrong, but his mind kept telling him otherwise.  
>"I signaled Bill to come in twenty minutes ago, I don't know what is taking him so long," Charlie responded with a shrug. Then suddenly the back door swung open and Bill came running inside with a terrified look on his face.<br>"I can't find her! She's gone! Disappeared! Anna's gone!" he screamed, tears pouring from his bright blue eyes and down his orange-speckled cheeks. His skin was ghostly pale and his body was covered with various bruises and scratches from practically digging up the forest in search of Anna.  
>"She's <em>gone<em>? WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE IS GONE?" Draco shouted, his body beginning to shake.  
>"Oh Merlin... Draco, look at this," Harry whispered and Draco's head snapped around. When Draco caught sight of Harry's hand, however, his heart sunk to his toes and he felt like he was frozen where he stood. In Harry's hand he held a glowing turquoise stone from his Admonitio necklace, Draco forced himself to look down at his own only to see it also was glowing strongly even in the light of the house. Anna was in danger.<p>

There he was. The man you feared most in the entire world. There, right in front of you, stood Lord Voldemort himself. There were no henchmen around him; it was just he in all his terrifying glory. His eyes were blood red and he had the fangs and nostrils of a serpent. There was a twisted smile on his lifeless face that made you feel as if you were going to vomit. "If you're going to kill me why don't you just go ahead and do it?" you yelled fiercely at him. "I am not scared of you, you know that?" but there was definitely false bravery in your voice. You knew you were in a lot of trouble.  
>"Oh I will get to that soon enough," Voldemort responded calmly, "But right now I want to ask you a few questions."<br>"You won't get anything out of me!" you shouted instantaneously. "Nothing!" you yelled again to make sure you had really gotten your point across, "My friends will find me! They will hunt you down and they will make you pay, they _always_ do," you continued; slowly gaining more confidence in yourself with every word you spoke. Somehow this conversation sounded very familiar to you.  
>Voldemort laughed, "Oh poor child, are you really that dense? No one is going to find you here. You're all alone. You're going to die alone in this place, doesn't that scare you?" he asked.<br>"I'm not alone," you replied, "I am never truly alone..." you whispered, running your fingers conspicuously over the Admonitio talisman that you had thankfully stashed under your t-shirt that day. '_They'll know I am in trouble, they'll find me. Draco will find me,_' you thought firmly, but something inside you told you that this was just false hope. Your fate was to face off with Voldemort and you could feel that moment was quickly starting to gain on you.

"Voldemort's got her!" Harry yelled, bursting through the door of Twelve Grimmauld. The screams of an agitated Mrs. Black could be heard echoing off the hallway walls, but Harry didn't care. "He's got her Dumbledore, I can _feel_ it," there was fear shining Harry's emerald orbs. He and Anna had always had a weird sort of connection due to their intertwining fates. This connection allowed him to feel some of the same emotions she did even when they were separated, and judging by the amount of fear that he could feel radiating from her all those miles away he knew she was face to face with the Dark Lord himself. Dumbledore swept off his chair with a genuinely terrified look in his eyes that shocked everyone standing around him. The headmaster was always the one who remained calm in these types of situations, but at that moment he looked downright panicked. "What do you mean? You lost her?" Dumbledore roared, "What happened?" he yelled, turning to the rest of the boys.  
>"It's all his bloody fault," Draco sneered at Bill, looking like he wanted to strangle the red-haired boy beside of him. Though his eyes were glossy and blood-shot from crying, there was a harsh and angry look on his face. "HE LEFT HER ALONE IN THE BLOODY WOODS AND NOW SHE IS GONE! YOU JUST KILLED MY FIANCE WEASLEY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?" Draco just snapped, no longer being able to control his emotions. A mixture of terror, anxiety, anger, and blame all occupied his heart making him feel like he might explode at any second, "You might have just killed the love of my life," he hissed in a dangerously quiet voice that cut through Bill like a knife.<br>"This is not good..." Dumbledore whispered, his elderly face grew pale and troubled. He began to pace back and forth across the room when suddenly a black crow came crashing through a back window sending shattered glass all over the floor. It flew straight at Dumbledore and dropped a small piece of parchment in his hands before flying out the same window again. Dumbledore's eyes scanned carefully over the words, "We need to go to Hogwarts, _now_," he suddenly burst out.

"Oh but you are quite alone, except for me of course," Voldemort smiled, revealing every pointed tooth in his mouth. "I see your afraid Anna Bella, but there really is no need to fear me. This could all be over in the blink of an eye if you just give me what I want. You were going to be great Anna. You and Draco Malfoy were going to be my heirs, but then- then the prophecy," he sighed, kneeling down in front of you causing you to gasp in fright. "I told you not fear me Anna Bella," he hissed, running his ice cold finger over the edge of cheek to the tip of your chin, "I will spare your life if you agree to do something for me. All you must do is kill Potter, plain and simple. You and Draco can live the rest of your lives as you want," he told you. "Wouldn't you like that Anna Bella? I know you would, I can see it in your mind. You could get married; raise a family with lots of little children, a dog, and a nice big white house with a picket fence. All you have to do is give me what I want, _victory_."  
>"Never," and you spat directly in his face, making him bound away in disgust. "I will never betray Harry!"<br>"You are foolish! I will give you everything you want! Everything!" he shouted, looking appalled by your response.  
>"I am not so easily bought, Voldemort," you snapped back and he looked shocked to hear you use his name so freely. "I will remain loyal to Harry and to Dumbledore until the day I die!"<br>"Well, that day just might come sooner than you think," Voldemort hissed, his blood eyes shining with fury. "But I have things to do with you first. You are the bait, my dear, and I am the trap." He picked you up roughly by the color of your cloak and threw you violently against the wall. To your disgust he wrapped his arms around you, so you could feel his cold, foul-smelling breath hitting the back of your neck. Then suddenly the uncomfortable feeling like you were being squished through something came over you and before you knew you had apparated to the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Gathered around the Hall were over fifty Death Eaters all donning their traditional black shrouds and hoods. In front of their feet, to your horror, were about eight dead students lying on the floor. They must have been students who had opted not to go home for the Christmas holidays. You scanned over each of their faces and nearly sobbed out loud when you recognized one to see it was no child at all, but actually your old charms professor, Flitwick. Voldemort stood up and opened his arms to the group of followers in front of him, "It all ends tonight, my children..."


	86. Chapter 86

"WHERE THE HELL DID SHE GO?" Voldemort boomed in a voice so intense that it nearly stopped your heart in your chest. "WHY DIDN'T ANY OF YOU SEE HER ESCAPE? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" he shrieked at his followers in front of him. "Go now, she could not have gotten far! Search the castle and the grounds!" he ordered and at that you saw a few red sparks shoot up outside the back door and then in the windows.  
>"That's the signal! GO, GO, GO!" Remus yelled and before you knew it you were on your feet and sprinting into a Hall packed with Death Eaters. Threatening blue, red, and green jets of light shot everywhere, bouncing off the walls and floors. You screamed as you barely evaded getting struck with a green Avada Kedavra curse. The Hall had erupted into total chaos...<p>

"There you are Darcy," a voice sniggered from behind you and you felt a wand stick into the back of your neck, "My master will be proud if I am the one to finally kill you," it hissed.  
>"Too bad I'll have to deny of you the pleasure," in a swift, fluid movement you dropped to the ground and swung around to kick out the ankles of your opponent. Whoever it was fell to the ground and fell hard, causing a loud crash. You jumped back on to your feet and looked down to see Freddie sprawled out on the floor. "<em>Ooh<em>, I was hoping it was you, Frederick," you smirked. "Stupefy!" you bellowed and the red light shot out of your at his chest.  
>"Protego!" the spell came flying back at you with great speed, just narrowly missing your head. "It isn't going to be that easy, I'm afraid," Freddie sneered getting back to his feet, "I've been practicing since we last met."<br>"All the practice in the world couldn't save you now, Martin," you quipped, "Petrificus Totalus!" you yelled, but Freddie stepped to the side and avoided getting struck. The curse kept going and you saw it strike another black shrouded figure in the back. "Well, one down..." you muttered.  
>"Avada Kedavra!" Freddie screamed. For a moment you stood frozen in your place as the green light came toward you. But right before it your sense came back to you and you did a belly flop on to the ground. Freddie stood smiling maniacally over you, "Not as fast as you used to be, Darcy?"<br>"You wish," you replied with fire in your honey brown eyes and before he could even react you shot a Jelly Legs Jinx flying at him. Suddenly his legs began to do an uncontrollable, rapid jig underneath him. "Expelliarmus!" and with that his wand went flying out of his hand and into yours. "Don't play with fire or you will get burnt, Martin," you smiled at him, before snapping his wand in half in front of him and dashing away to find your next victim.

Draco pushed himself off the ground and back on to his feet with agonizing effort. He had just won a duel between him and his old girlfriend before Anna, Pansy Parkinson. The pug-faced girl was now collapsed on the floor unconscious, but she had managed to do a great deal of damage to him before she went down. "_Aah_," he grabbed at his ribs and tried to breathe, but throbbing pain had seized his body.  
>"Hurt, Mr. Malfoy?" Bellatrix Lestrange's cool voice chuckled as she waltzed over to Draco who was keeling over.<br>"No," Draco gasped unpersuasively.  
>Bellatrix laughed piercingly, "Oh yes, nice acting Malfoy," she scoffed. "Killing my daughter's boyfriend might be just as fun as killing my daughter herself, I think," she smirked.<br>"Incarcerous!" Draco yelled, but Bellatrix effortlessly blocked it off with a quick counter spell.  
>"I am a skilled Legimens my dear Draco, you are going to have to do better than that... Incendio!" and suddenly part of Draco's cloak burst into flames, he quickly threw it off him, but his left arm was badly burnt by that time. "Stupefy!"<br>"Protego!" Draco yelled just in time, but he knew he was not going to last long. Bellatrix was a strong witch who he could barely compete with when he was in perfect health. Now he had a burnt arm and he was pretty sure his ribs were broken. '_I'm screwed_...' he thought fearfully to himself.

You sprinted across the Great Hall, doing your best not to trip over fallen bodies and broken ornaments, to where you spotted Draco and Bellatrix Lestrange in a heated duel with one another. Draco was pale as a ghost and you could tell that he was in a great deal of pain, Bellatrix on the other hand was smiling like Christmas had come early. Just before you arrived a red light shot of your mother's wand and hit Draco square in the chest, with a thunderous smack he hit the ground. "No!" you screamed as Bellatrix advanced on the fallen Draco, "Immobulus!" you yelled and Bellatrix's body stopped in its place. The spell only lasted a few brief seconds, but it allowed you the time to get over to the scene.  
>"<em>Aah<em>, I knew you had to be close. Where there is Draco, there is bound to be my little Anna Bella," she said in a repulsively sweet voice.  
>"Stop calling me that, I dropped your name from mine a long time ago. It is just Anna, Anna Louise Darcy," you hissed.<br>Bellatrix leered, "Don't deny my name Anna Bella; you are a part of me. My blood runs through your veins whether you like it or not," she hissed.  
>"I am no part of you!" you shouted back, "You lost me when you tried to kill me! I was a baby, a mere infant!" you screamed.<br>"You were a threat to everything that I believed in!" she responded.  
>"I don't care! I was your child! Your daughter!"<br>"Don't get sentimental on me now, Anna Bella! I could care less about you despite your relation to me. The only thing I know is that you are a blood traitor and an enemy of the Dark Lord!"  
>"You better believe I am," you spat. "Stupefy!" you screamed, but she easily blocked it, as if she had known it was coming.<br>"Like I told your silly little boyfriend, I am a skilled Legimens and you are going to have to do better than that," she jeered.  
>You smiled at her words; she had just made a deadly mistake. Little did she know that you were proficient in Occlumency yourself. Quickly you put a mental barrier up around your mind just as Snape had taught you long ago when you were still at Hogwarts. "Expelliarmus!" you spat and this time Bellatrix had no idea that it was coming. Her wand whipped out of her hand and landed on the floor in the middle of you. For a moment you both just stared at each other before diving into the center for the wand. You hand grasped the long black wand before her hand could reach and you shot up in the air to stand above her. "Look who's in control now," you sneered, holding your wand at her heart. "I <em>should<em> kill you, you know. After everything you have done to me and my friends, you deserve to die." Her dark eyes were focused on your face as you spoke and you could swear that you saw actual fear shining within them. "But I am not going to kill you because that would be far too easy. I want you to go to Azkaban. I want you to live amongst the Dementors in a cold, cramped cell. I want you to relive all the horrifying things you've done in your life. I want you too see the day you tried to kill your only daughter each and every day for the rest of your bloody life! You don't even deserve death!" you screamed passionately, "Stupefy!" you yelled and she fell to the ground comatose, "Incarcerous," you added and ropes snaked around her arms and legs as a precaution in case she woke up. You snapped her black wand in two and threw it scornfully at her feet.

Then you remembered Draco was on the ground behind you. You fell to your knees beside his motionless body, "Draco..." you whispered shaking his shoulders urgently, "Oh please tell me you are okay," you begged, but he didn't answer. You felt for a pulse and nearly passed out in relief when you felt the gentle throbbing his neck. "Okay, at least you're alive," you whispered, "I am just going to have to hide you here," by this point you were talking to yourself. "You'll be fine, they'll think your dead," you said, with that you kissed him lightly on the forehead and pulled him over behind one of the fallen Christmas trees, hoping that no one would spot him. "Stay safe, my love," you whispered, before rushing off again.

Blaise felt lost amongst all the dueling wizards and spells flying past his head. He didn't care about any of the shrouded figures around him except for one, his brother. His brother was the reason why he had been put in Slytherin all those years ago even though he was a half blood who had never had a prejudice against muggles or muggleborns. The fact that he was almost completely consumed with the idea of getting revenge on his brother had landed him in the house known for its evil wizards. At this point nothing else mattered in the world except for finally putting his brother to rest.  
>"Well if it isn't Blaise, it has been so long since we last saw each other little brother," the voice sent anger shooting through every single part of his body.<br>Blaise twirled around in less than second and glared daggers at his older brother, Brock Zabini, standing behind him. He had removed his hood, so Blaise could look him straight in the eyes. He looked a great deal like Blaise with long black hair that appeared to have streaks of silver running through it, stormy blue eyes, and pale skin. It looked as if he had once been handsome, but years of malnutrition and hostility had wasted him away into a sagging body of skin and bones. "I have been waiting for this," Blaise sneered, holding his wand out in front of him.  
>Brock smiled menacingly, "I am sure you have. Still mad at me then little brother?" he asked.<br>"You killed our parents!" Blaise yelled in response. "You killed Mum and Dad Brock, all so you could be a bloody Death Eater! I despise you!"  
>"I did what I had to do. I had to prove that I was loyal to the Dark Lord somehow, right? You're lucky that I didn't take you down with them that night," he shot back in response.<br>"Sometimes I wish you had," Blaise said quietly, "My life went down the train the day you killed them and I could never forgive you for that. Expelliarmus!" he screamed, but Brock evaded the spell.  
>"You're going to have to do better than that! Stupefy!" he hissed, scarcely missing Blaise. After that lights were shooting everywhere between the two feuding brothers as they became locked in a war that was all their own. Years upon years of hatred and resentment was building up in Blaise as he looked at his brother's face, he needed to see him fall.<br>"AVADA KEDAVRA!" the words rang out of Blaise's mouth for the first and the last time throughout his life. The green light shot out the tip of his wand and cut through the air only stopping when it Brock straight in the chest. There was a gasp; all life and color in the twenty-something-year-old's face drained away, and finally his dead body hit the floor with a sickening crunch. Blaise just stood there glued to his place staring at his brother's corpse. He had been waiting so long to see him suffer as his parents did and in his heart he felt no remorse.

Harry snapped Ruby Pickford's wand in half triumphantly. Though she was a decent witch, the duel with the seventeen-year-old had been a piece of cake. He looked away from her stupefied body and turned to see if any of his friends needed help. As his eyes scanned the room he caught sight of an intense battle taking place in the dead center of the room. On one side was Voldemort dressed in coal black robes and on the other was Dumbledore in his robes of pure white, it was light verses dark, good verses evil. Harry became completely unaware of everything that was going on around him as he watched the battle ensue...

"Expelliarmus!" Voldemort hissing voice screamed, but Dumbledore eluded it with the greatest of ease.  
>"You know I cannot be beaten with such petty spells, Thomas. I must say you are loosing your touch," Dumbledore said calmly. It still amazed Harry how he could keep his cool in even the most dangerous of situations.<br>"Don't call me that, Albus," Voldemort warned, "Avada Kedavra!" he shrieked, but suddenly Dumbledore disappeared and reappeared about two feet to the right. '_I thought we couldn't apparate in here? That must be advanced magic,_' Harry thought, impressed with the headmaster. With a swift motion, that was quite extraordinary for a man as elderly as Dumbledore, he shot a wordless spell at his adversary. "Protego!" the spell was blocked; it shot away and to Harry's shock hit Hermione in the back. She shrieked in pain and collapsed to the ground.  
>"Hermione!" Dumbledore yelled, looking shaken. In an instant he seemed to forget all about the battle that he was engaged in and jumped to the aid of his fallen student. "Miss Granger-" he began, but he never got the chance to finish the rest of his sentence...<p> 


	87. Chapter 87

"Avada Kedavra!" the two deadly words shot out from his mouth and a green jet of light departed from his wand. The light seemed to move in slow motion as the entire population of the Great Hall just stopped to see what would happen next. Then it happened... the thing that you thought never could happen. The green light hit Dumbledore in the back from behind and instantaneously he fell to the floor unmoving and lifeless. Voldemort had killed Dumbledore, the one wizard who he had ever feared in his life. A sick, twisted smile spread out across the snake-like face of Lord Voldemort as he watched his greatest enemy's dead body fall to the floor. The rest of you seemed frozen in your spots, unable to comprehend what you had just seen. Dumbledore had always seemed immortal and incapable of making a mistake, but there he was on the ground, dead.

"No!" the silence was broken and Harry pushed himself out of the crowd surrounding Voldemort. His wand was pointed bravely out in front of him, while tears were glossing over his emerald green eyes and his cheeks flushed with color. "Stand and fight me, you bastard!" Harry growled, a desire for vengeance could be clearly heard in his voice. Albus Dumbledore had been Harry's mentor, his confidant, and almost like a second father to him.  
>"With pleasure, Potter," Voldemort sneered in reply, "You're corpse will join that senile old wizard's," he smirked, referring to Dumbledore.<br>"He was a better wizard than you ever were or ever will be!" Harry hissed, "And _you_ will pay for his death!"  
>Voldemort merely laughed at this statement, "You have no chance Potter. If I can take down Dumbledore, than you will be easy." Harry's face contorted a little at the comment, you were sure he had been thinking the very same thing in his mind though he put on a courageous exterior.<p>

"CRUCIO!" the spell struck Harry hard, sending him flying up into the air. You could see his bones jutting out in odd positions; you could hear the cracking and his loud screams of pain made you cringe. But still no one moved. Everyone just watched on as the two rivals fought.  
>"Stupefy!" Harry breathed through his tears, but the spell was weak and easy for Voldemort to parry.<br>"Oh come on, Potter. At least try," he taunted, "INCEDIO!" fire shot out of Voldemort's wand and toward Harry.  
>"Protego!" Harry sent the blazing fire shooting toward Montague. "Expelliarmus!" but Voldemort just laughed at this spell.<br>"I am far more advanced that Potter, you should know that," he jeered. Everything Harry tried failed... this was not looking good. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort shouted the sound echoing through the commodious Hall.  
>"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry yelled at nearly the exact same time. The two streams of green light shot out and intercepted each other between the two duelers. Each stream of light seemed to be fighting with the other, trying to reach its intended target in front of it. But neither was winning. Then there was a loud bang and the two wands flew out of their owners' hands and in the middle of the two duelers on the floor. For a second Voldemort and Harry just stared at each other just trying to grasp what had just happened, but it quickly hit them that they were both wandless. They both sprinted out into the middle of the room, toward the two wands of identical cores, at the same time. But both were stopped in there tracks when you entered the scene.<p>

"FREEZE!" you demanded in a booming loud voice that you had no idea you were capable of. You were holding out your new wand in front of you in a threatening manner that made them both halt instantly in their place. "Accio wands!" you shouted, and Harry and Voldemort's wands flew into your empty hand. "Now I am the one in control and you are going to pay," you hissed dangerously at Voldemort, who was standing in front of you wandless and defenseless. "You are going to pay for all the lives you stole! My friends, my family, Albus Dumbledore, everyone..." angry tears poured from your eyes as you spoke. Then you lifted your wand to give it to Harry, the one destined to strike him dead, when something interrupted your progress.

"PUT THE WAND DOWN ANNA!" a familiar voice commanded from the darkness behind you. You turned your head to see Lucius Malfoy standing behind you and to your horror he had a limp Draco in his tight clutch with his wand pointed straight at his neck. "Put the wand down or I will kill him," he threatened, and you knew that he wasn't bluffing.  
>"Don't listen to him Anna!" Draco gasped out, looking like he was in a fantastic deal of pain. "I don't care if I die as long as you live! Do the right thing! Become a Healer, live your life!" he ordered, but Lucius quickly punched him the stomach making him keel over.<br>"Don't touch him! Don't hurt him anymore!" you cried, seeing Draco in anguish cut through your heart like a knife. "Just put him down," you begged, "Please just let him go. He is your son."  
>"Put your wand down!" Lucius responded harshly, "And my pathetic excuse for a son will live to see another day."<br>"Don't believe him!" Draco yelled, "He'll kill me- he'll kill you if you don't give Harry the wand! Anna, I love you... please," he pleaded as silver tears escaped rapidly from his gorgeous icy blue eyes that you loved so much, "Give the wand to Harry," his voice was cracking with emotion. The cat's eye stone talisman around his neck was glowing brightly as he spoke. The qualities of self-control and clear thinking had entered him; he knew what had to be done.  
>"I- I love you too Draco," you replied breathlessly, barely able to control your sobbing by this point. "I don't want you to die."<br>"As long as I am in your heart I will never truly die and you will never be alone," he responded sincerely.  
>Your heart was aching in your chest; Draco was going to die if you gave the wand to Harry. '<em>I would never let you die Anna, no matter what,<em>' his words from earlier ran through your mind and guilt panged your stomach, but you knew what you had to do. The entire wizarding world was resting on your shoulders at that moment; you had to give the wand to Harry. It was your duty. You turned to see Harry and Voldemort kneeling at your feet in fear, the prophecy was coming true. The Admonitio amulet around your neck glowed and you felt the warmth of the jade stone on your chest. War, wisdom, courage, and the desire for harmony were what it was supposed to provide you with when the time came and those were the things you needed right now.

Seamus Finnegan tried to push through the crowd of Death Eaters just staring stupidly at the scene going on in front of them. '_Idiots_,' Seamus thought to himself as he finally broke through. There Anna Darcy was standing with three wands in her possession. It would be so easy for her to end the war at that moment, but her face was twisted in torment. She had been given the choice between her duty and the love her life. But Seamus knew Anna well enough by this point. She wasn't stupid and in the end she would give the wand to Harry, but he couldn't let that happen. If Voldemort lost, everything would be over for Seamus. He had betrayed the Order and was responsible for multiple deaths. If the Dark Side was to lose he would be stuck in Azkaban prison for the rest of his life or his soul would be sucked out of his body by a dementor. He could not let the short, lank girl in front of him ruin his life. "IMPERIO!" the words shot out of his mouth and the spell grabbed hold of Anna's body. Her honey eyes went blank as her mind came under Seamus' control. '_Give the wand to the Dark Lord, give the wand to Voldemort,_' he urged her with his mind and to his ultimate satisfaction she began to walk toward Voldemort with her wand stretched out in front of her.  
>The Order members surrounding the incident looked shocked and horrified as they realized what was happening. Harry's green eyes were wide with fear as she began to leave his side. "ANNA! Anna what are you doing! Don't betray Harry! Not for me, I'm not worth it!" Draco's voice pleaded, but she couldn't hear him. Her mind was not under her control anymore...<br>"Yes, that's it little Anna Bella. Give the wand to me and everything you want will come true," Voldemort hissed delightedly. "Give me the wand Anna Bella," he advocated, but Anna had stopped moving. There was a strange expression on her face. Seamus could feel her mind fighting against his orders; she was a lot stronger than he had expected her to be. '_Give the Dark Lord the wand,_' he ordered more forcefully, using everything he had in him, but she still stood unmoving, still fighting inside the walls of her mind with the foreign invader.  
>"AVADA KEDAVRA!" a deep male's voice roared from behind Seamus, he hadn't even known it was aimed at him because he was concentrating so hard on Anna. But the spell struck him and sent his body flying roughly into the center of the ring of people with a loud thud. There were a few gasps and slowly Anna found her some of her wits coming back to her, but her body felt weak and her mind still oddly distant. The last thing she saw before she collapsed to the ground was her biological father, Rudolphus Lestrange, standing over Seamus Finnegan's dead body.<p> 


	88. Chapter 88

Severus Snape sat outside the hospital room in one of the plush waiting room armchairs wringing his hands nervously together. It had been nearly two hours since the healer had gone into the room Anna had been brought to and he had still not emerged yet. '_What could be taking so long?_' he thought anxiously, as he stood up from the chair no longer able to keep still. He began to pace back and forth over the white tile floor, all the while attempting to convince himself that Anna was not dead. '_She can't be dead, she was never even struck by a fatal spell,_' he told himself, but then the image and memory of her cold, limp body on the floor of the Great Hall came back to his mind...

_There was a brief silence. Everyone stared at the Death Eater standing over his fellow Death Eater's dead body. Then there was a second thud and they all turned to see Anna Darcy lying unmoving on the ground, seemingly unconscious. At this moment both Harry and Voldemort reacted with remarkable speed. Each of them sprung from their spots on the ground on top of the small girl in a mad dash to claim one of the three wands she had in her possession. Harry grabbed for the one in her right hand and Voldemort the one in her left. However, Harry was a just a second quicker... "AVADA KEDAVRA!" the words shot from his mouth for what would be the first and last time in his life. The stream of light struck the back of the most evil wizard in history, still leaning over to grab his wand, and only a moment later he fell to the ground... never to move again. He was dead. The Dark Lord was finally dead, they had won._

_There was chaos. Death Eaters fled in every direction at the sight of their Dark Lord's fallen body. Order members shot out stupefying spells and binding spells to trap the escapees before they could leave the scene. Harry just dropped to his knees, as the weight of the world seemed to finally leave his shoulders. Slowly he inhaled and exhaled while he tried to process all that had just happened. In all the excitement everyone seemed to forget Anna lying on the ground, except for her godfather. He approached the young girl's body and pressed his fingers to her neck, searching desperately for a pulse. Deep relief washed over him when he finally found one, but it was slow... much too slow for his liking. He looked down onto her face, she was deathly white and her lips were turning purple. She looked as if she had been left out in the freezing cold overnight. Something was definitely wrong. He lifted her quickly up into his arms and was slightly surprised at how light she was. He grasped her tightly to his own body and ran out of the hall, not slowing his pace until he reached his office down the hall. He sprinted to the fireplace, grabbed a pinch of floo powder, and stepped into the flames to arrive at St. Mungo's hospital seconds later._

"Severus! Severus, is she okay?" Molly Weasley's hysterical voice interrupted his thoughts. Her clothes were disheveled and her usually bright blue eyes were red and bloodshot.  
>"I have no idea," Severus admitted. "The healer went in over two bloody hours ago and still nothing. The worst part is that I have no idea what happened! She was under the Imperius curse and then someone broke it and then she just collapsed! I don't understand why it would have so severe of an effect on her!" he was shouting by this point. He wasn't really angry, just overwhelmed.<br>"_Shh_..." Molly hushed calmly, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. "I am sure she will be okay, she's a fighter that one," she comforted. "She has been through anything and everything during her short life."  
>"She has been through more than any girl her age should," Severus agreed, "I just hope this isn't the thing that finally does her in." At this Severus' dark eyes began to cloud over and a single tear dripped down his cheek. The cold drop of liquid caught even him a little off guard, it had been years since had last cried.<br>"What's wrong? Is she alive? Please say she is alive!" Blaise came sprinting down the hall looking like hell with slashes across his face and his shirt in rags. The greater part of the other members of the Order had been admitted into the hospital, even as just a precaution, but Blaise had managed to evade the healers.  
>"We don't know, dear," Mrs. Weasley told him, quietly. She dropped her hand from Severus' shoulder and pulled the young boy into a tight hug. Severus collapsed down back onto one of the chairs and dropped his head into his hands.<br>"No... She just can't be, _you know_," Blaise murmured, not even able to say the words. His stormy eyes were filled with trepidation. All three of them looked up rapidly, however, when the door to the hospital room swung open and a healer stepped out into the hall.  
>"I am afraid we've got some bad news..."<p>

Harry lay back in his bed with a deep breath, feeling a strange and rather uncomfortable mixture of elation and worry running through his body. On one hand he had just vanquished the Dark Lord Voldemort and made the wizarding world safe once more for the innocent. On the other hand, however, he was concerned for the lives and health of his friends. And then of course there was grief. Albus Dumbledore, his mentor and the man he truly looked up to, was dead as was Professor Flitwick, Neville Longbottom, and Mad-Eye Moody, all of who were great wizards.  
>Hermione was in the bed next to him. The sound of her wheezy, strained breathing could be heard even over all the commotion happening outside, but the sound was still comforting to him because it meant she was alive. She looked terrible and even though the healers had insisted she would make a gradual, but full recovery, Harry was still uneasy. Ron was sitting in the chair by her bed with her hand lightly clasped in his. There was anxiety and regret written all over his freckled face. He loved Hermione more than anyone else in the world and he wanted to be with her. Harry was sure his best friend was beating himself up inside for breaking up with her all those months ago and not fighting for her when she got together with Seamus. Sometimes it took a potential tragedy to make a person aware of how truly attached to something they are. "She's going to be okay, mate," Harry croaked, but Ron only nodded.<br>On the other side of him was the currently unconscious Death Eater turned Order member Race Raven. He had suffered a number of Cruciatus curses at the hands of the older Death Eater, Rookwood. The healers had sedated him when he arrived, so that he could sleep peacefully while the pain from the curses wore off. At least he knew those three were okay and that Luna was safe back at the headquarters with Ginny. The younger members of the Order who hadn't graduated yet were forced to stay behind before the battle. But what about everyone else? He hadn't even seen Blaise or the older Weasley brothers since the incident. And then there was Draco who was being restrained by his father Lucius last time he saw him and there of course was Anna. The speculation of what had happened to her was the thing that plagued his mind the most of all. After killing Voldemort he completely forgot about the girl who had risked her life and stood up to Voldemort. It was because of her that he was able to conquer evil and he had left her there on the ground out cold...


	89. Chapter 89

It was warm wherever you were. Soft blankets were wrapped closely around your small, frail body and a large number of fluffy pillows supported your head. When you finally won the battle between you and your eyelids, which just did not seem to want to open, you gasped at the look of the white walls around you. '_Am I dead? Am I in Heaven?_' you thought curiously to yourself, as your eyesight slowly came back into focus. But you speedily came to the realization that you were neither dead nor in Heaven, you were in one of the hospital rooms of St. Mungo's. You remembered the look of the room very well as you had spent a long stint in one after being attacked by your mother once at Hogwarts. Slowly you tried to prop yourself up by the use of your elbows, but you were far too weak to move. You managed to lift up one of your arms and were shocked to see how skinny you had become. Your wrist had become so small that you easily touch your pinky to your thumb when you wrapped your hand around it. With some reluctance you lifted up the blanket and down at your body, you were disgusted to see you could see every one of your ribs. "What happened to me?" your voice was croaky and strained when you spoke out loud, as if it had been a long time since your vocal chords had been put to work.

"Oh my! You're finally awake! That family of yours has been worried sick about you!" a young healer came walking into the room. She had curly black hair cut at her chin, a mess of freckles over her nose, frank blue eyes, and a cheery smile seemingly pasted permanently on her face.  
>"Who are you? Family? What family?" you responded with a number of questions, as you attempted to run your fingers through your wavy, dirty blonde hair, but it was tangled terribly.<br>"That group of redheads, they've been outside your room for weeks and the others!" she replied, "Are they not your family?"  
>"You- you mean the Weasley's?" you asked, "Wait- did you say <em>weeks<em>?" you added in shock, as the words hit you.  
>"Oh yes dear, you've been out for over a month now I think. See, you were under the Imperius curse, but the person who cast it on you was killed before ever really breaking the spell. It had a very strange effect I'm afraid, you've been in a coma. It is a miracle you are even awake!" she exclaimed.<br>"Coma? Are you serious?" you said in shock, thinking this all must be some sort of sick dream.  
>"Oh darling, you really must have some food! You are rail thin!" the girl said, disregarding the question. With a snap of her fingers a silver food cart came flying into the room with various trays of food on top of it. "Here you are dear, does a turkey sandwich and chips sound good to you?"<br>Just as she asked this question a sharp hunger pain shot through your stomach, "Amazing," you replied honestly, grabbing at the tray in front of you greedily. Without any hesitation at all you stuff half the sandwich into your mouth, barely even bothering to chew it. But you stopped eating suddenly when you caught sight of a newspaper sitting on the chair beside your bed.

**Young Heroes:  
>The Fall of Lord Voldemort<strong>

"What the?" you literally through the tray of your lap and picked up the paper to read the article that followed...

_On Friday night, a mere two days after Christmas, the most evil wizard the Wizarding World has ever seen was vanquished at long last. The young eighteen-year-old Harry Potter, commonly known as the Boy-Who-Lived, was the one who finally struck the Dark Lord Voldemort down. However, he is quoted as saying, "I could have never have done it without Albus Dumbledore," who was sadly killed during the battle, "And Anna Darcy, she was the one who got Voldemort's wand." Anna Darcy, the rebellious daughter of Death Eaters Rudolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, came through for the side of good in the end. She is currently in intensive care at St. Mungo's Hospital and it still unknown if she will ever make a full recovery, but healers are saying that the prospect is grim. Many other good wizards and witches were killed and injured during the fierce battle..._

"We won," you whispered, "Harry killed Voldemort," and happiness flowed into your heart. The mission the Order had been working toward since before she was born had finally been accomplished and peace could finally be brought to the Wizarding World. Tears of joy poured from your honey eyes and onto the page, smudging the black ink words as they did. But then an abrupt realization caused your heart to nearly stop in your chest. "Draco Malfoy!" you shouted, making the healer drop the clipboard she had been holding in surprise. "Is he alive?"  
>"Who was that dear?" she inquired, coming closer.<br>"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," you responded firmly, "Is he alive?" the last thing you could remember was him in the arms of his father Lucius Malfoy who was threatening to kill him if she didn't give the wand to Voldemort.

"Anna! Anna you are awake! It's a miracle!" Mrs. Weasley cried, making the healer's response to your inquiry inaudible to you. She pulled you into a tight hug that cut of your breathing and made you worry about whether your fragile bones would crack under the pressure. When she let go she planted a large kiss on your forehead and beamed down at you with tears in her sparkly blue eyes. "Oh darling, we have all been so worried about you. They didn't think you were going to wake up! Oh but you are so skinny... I will make you one of my famous mince pies the moment I find the time!"  
>You only nodded, "Mrs. Weasley... Draco," you said quietly, afraid of the answer you would receive if you dared to ask the question.<br>"Oh yes, Draco! Where _is_ he?" she asked, "He has been sitting in this chair every single day since he was released from hospital care. He must have gone to get something to eat, it is right around lunch. Though, he hasn't been eating much lately, too worried about you dear," she informed.  
>"He is- he is still alive then?" you asked hopefully and Mrs. Weasley nodded yes in response. "Oh thank Merlin!" you exclaimed, clutching your heart like you were about to pass out. "What about Harry? Hermione? Blaise? Raven? Ron? Bill?" names starting blurting out your lips uncontrollably.<br>"All fine," Mrs. Weasley said. "There weren't many deaths, thank Merlin. Dumbledore and Harry's duels with Voldemort served as quite the distraction. And the Death Eaters seemed to completely break down as soon as You-Know-Who, I mean uh- Voldemort, was taken down. But there of course were some," she said sadly. "Alastor Moody, Flitwick, that darling of a boy Neville Longbottom, and- and of course Albus," her voice cracked at the name and trailed off. "Poor Hermione is still recovering," she added, "But she will be okay too."  
>You nodded slowly, trying to take everything in. Your heart dropped at the names, "What about- my erm- my father?" you said unsurely. The last vision of him standing over Seamus' body came back into your mind. You knew he had been the one to snap you out of the Imperius curse.<br>"Your father? Lestrange? He is dead, dear," she replied, "His own side killed him, not sure why," she said.  
>"Because he saved my life," you sighed, your heart dropping a little at the news. In the back of your mind you knew it was probably better that he died; otherwise he would have been sent to Azkaban prison and forced to waste away in the horrid cells for the rest of his life. Mrs. Weasley gave you a curious look, but she never responded thanks to arrival of another person.<p>

"Anna... Anna, you're awake," Draco's voice was just barely above a whisper when he spoke. His pale blue eyes were wide open and full of amazement as he stared at you, unmoving. Black shadows were underneath his eyes, he was skin and bones, there were scars running down one of his arms from where Bellatrix had burnt him, and he looked like he hadn't gotten any rest in years, but to you he was still the most beautiful sight you could have ever imagined.  
>"Yeah, yeah I am," you whispered back, trying desperately hard to hold back the tears welling up behind your eyes. But as soon as the first tear dripped from Draco's own eye, you completely lost it. "Draco," you sobbed and within a second he was beside you with his arms wrapped around your body. You threw your own arm around his neck and began to weep on to his shoulder. The two of you just sat there on your hospital bed in a firm embrace for nearly ten minutes. You never wanted to let him go again for as long as you lived. "I love you so much, Draco," you said, as soon as your tears slowed down to some extent.<br>"I've been sitting by your bed for a month, Anna," he said, finally loosening the embrace, but just enough so that he could look you in the face. He rested his forehead on top of yours, locking his icy eyes on your honey brown ones. "People were starting to call me crazy, but I never gave up- I knew you would come back to me," he said, clasping your cheeks in his warm hands.  
>"Thank you," you whispered, "Thank you for never giving up on me."<br>"I could never, even if I tried," he responded, "I am in love with you Anna and I always will be," he said sincerely. "I have wanted to kiss you for so long now," and without another word he pushed his lips on to yours in a kiss full of yearning and passion. You kissed back with all the life you had left in your weak body. The feeling of his lips on yours and his hands grasping your waist were like heaven to you. Even after the two years you had been together, it still felt like the first time every time you kissed him. He was your one true love... the only person you ever loved and the only person you would ever love for the rest of your life.  
>"I want to marry you, Draco Malfoy," you said breathlessly, as he lay down gently on your bed beside of you. He pulled the blankets over the both of you and wrapped his arms around your body, sending pleasant warmth through you.<br>He softly kissed the back of your neck, "February twenty-eighth," he whispered, "You will be my bride."  
>"The day hasn't already passed?" you asked in surprise.<br>"It's February tenth," he answered, kissing you again and pulling you tighter against his body. "I want to wake up with you in my arms like this every single morning, my love," he said sweetly.  
>You grasped his hands in yours, "You will Draco, you will."<p>

"Draco can I ask you something?" you inquired, through a mouth of chocolate cake. You were so skinny that the Mrs. Weasley had been bringing you food every hour and practically forcing you to eat it all, but you didn't mind in the least. You had always had an insatiable appetite.  
>"Of course," he replied, eating a piece of cake himself with a great deal more manners than yourself. He was actually using a fork.<br>"How did you- how did you get away from Lucius?" you asked. Curiosity had been plaguing your mind all day, but for some reason you were tentative to ask him about what happened. There was something bothering him inside and you had a feeling it had to do with his father.  
>Draco was silent for a moment and you sensed a little bit of pain in his eyes, "He broke down when Voldemort perished. Just fell to the ground and wept..." Draco shook his head, "And he told me <em>I<em> was weak."  
>You nodded, "Is he in Azkaban?" you asked.<br>"I couldn't kill him myself," he responded, "I just couldn't do it- even after everything he had done, I couldn't kill him. He's in Azkaban, where he bloody belongs," he sighed, and looked despondently out the window.  
>"You're not a killer, Draco," you said, reaching out and placing your hand on top of his. "That's why you never became a Death Eater, your heart is too good," you told him, with a small smile.<br>"My heart is good because _you_ are in it," he smiled back.  
>"Aww- aren't you just Mr. Romantic!" you laughed heartily, pinching him on the cheek playfully.<br>He grinned, "Merlin, did I miss that laugh."


	90. Chapter 90

"Anna would you just shut up already. You look positively gorgeous! You know I wouldn't lie to you and let you walk out there looking like a troll!" Luna exclaimed, slapping you upside the head playfully.  
>"Ouch! Don't go beating up the bride on her wedding day!" you snapped jokingly, as you compulsively fixed the spot of your hair where she had hit. You let out a long sigh and turned back to the mirror you had been standing in front of for nearly ten minutes straight. Luna and Hermione kept insisting that you looked marvelous, but you just wanted everything to be perfect. You ran your fingers gently over your soft, dirty blonde hair that was falling gracefully over your bare shoulders in loose ringlets. Instead of a long veil you had opted for a very small one that ended at your shoulders. It fell from a sparkling, diamond beret shaped as a rose that held up half your hair. You also decided to only wear a single, gold necklace and a pair of simple diamond earrings because you didn't want anything to take away from your beautiful dress. It was a strapless, off-white vintage, lace dress embroidered with small pearls that hugged your body tightly at the bodice and slowly loosened up around your hips. It had a short, but elegant train behind it that added to its overall affect.<br>"Are you ready, Anna? You're due in ten minutes," Hermione informed you, always the responsible one. She, Ginny, and Luna appeared in front of you wearing the bridesmaid dresses you had picked out for them yourself. They were wearing the tea-length; strapless satin, emerald green dresses you had picked out for them. The dress was the one of the only ones that looked fantastic on each of the three girls. It looked particularly lovely on Ginny whose red hair accented the green color marvelously, almost like an Irish princess. Her cheeks flushed with color as she bounced up and down in excitement, she had been a great deal more cheerful lately ever since starting a new relationship with the much older Oliver Wood, and needless to say Ron hadn't been as thrilled.  
>"I- I think I <em>am<em> ready," you replied, wringing your hands together in anticipation. "Mates, I am getting married today," you said barely above a whisper, as if you were in complete disbelief, "I am going to Anna Malfoy. Can you even believe this? I am going to be a Mrs.!"  
>Luna, your maid of honor, grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, I am so happy for you, Anna," she said sincerely, "Give me a hug before I start crying you twit!" she laughed, fanning herself as tears welled up in her large, golden eyes.<br>"Oh Luna!" you exclaimed, throwing your arms around her and starting to cry a little yourself. Yes, you were already crying and the ceremony hadn't even started yet! This prompted both Hermione and Ginny to start tearing up too and suddenly you found yourself in the middle of a large group hug.  
>"Merlin, girls are strange," you heard a voice chuckling, and you broke away from your best friends to see Draco's best man, Harry, and his two other groom's men, Blaise and Ron, standing there with amused smirks on all their faces. They were all dressed up in sharp looking suits with silk, emerald ties that matched the dresses of the bridesmaids, looking calm. Harry's tie definitely helped to bring out his sparkling eyes and you noticed that he had attempted to brush his hair.<br>"Wow Anna, you look fantastic," Blaise said in awe, taking your hand in his and spinning you around. "Draco is going to bloody pass out when he sees you," he laughed goodheartedly, before hugging you tightly.  
>"Well let's hope he makes it through our vows," you responded, with a bright smile that hadn't left your face all day.<br>Blaise chuckled, "_Mmm_... wouldn't be good if he just collapsed in front of all those people, huh?" he teased.  
>"Are you trying to freak me out?" you exclaimed, slapping him on the arm.<br>"Oh don't listen to him, everything will be just fine. Good luck today, Anna. Not that you need it or anything," Ron grinned, pulling you into a side hug.  
>"Yeah, good luck," Harry repeated, pulling you into a warm hug himself. He placed a friendly kiss on your cheek and smiled. "I have never seen Draco so excited, he really loves you Anna," he assured you kindly, "And he's a very lucky man."<br>"Thanks Harry," you responded, feeling a great deal more relaxed at his reassuring words.

"I hate to break up the party kids, but the ceremony is about to start," Snape walked into the small, empty Hogwarts classroom where they had all gathered. You all turned to see the familiar Potions professor standing in the doorway, but he looked almost unrecognizable. His usually greasy hair was brushed nicely back in a low ponytail with a few strands breaking free and instead of his usual billowing black robes he was wearing a dashing black and white tuxedo. There was also a seldom seen grin on his face that made him actually look somewhat pleasant. Everyone nodded at the reminder. Harry linked arms with his girlfriend Luna; the newly reunited couple Ron and Hermione did the same, and finally Blaise and Ginny also linked arms together before they filed out toward the Great Hall. "How are you feeling?" your godfather asked when everyone left, looking you straight in the eyes.  
>"Amazing, wonderful, on top of the world," you giggled a little, and you rarely ever <em>giggled<em>. "Thank you for walking me down the aisle today, I really appreciate it," you said appreciatively, "You're the closest I have to a father."  
>He smiled and you could see the tears welling up behind his dark eyes. Suddenly he pulled you into a tight hug that caught you a little off guard. "I love you as if you were my daughter. You <em>are<em> my daughter, Anna," he said simply, "I will be there for you through it all, understand? If you ever need help-"  
>"I know," you stopped him, "Thank you for everything you've done," you thanked him again sincerely. He nodded and then linked his arms with yours before leading you out of the room and toward the Great Hall where Draco was awaiting your arrival. Butterflies sprung up into your stomach as you neared the door that would lead you to the rest of your life...<p>

The Great Hall looked positively spectacular when you finally walked through the archway in front of the large double doors. Gorgeous red roses, you're favorite, adorned the walls, the tables, and every aisle seat giving the room a truly romantic look. There were also rose petals scattered over the walkway that led to the altar where you were to be married. Draping, white silk banners hung from the walls and the enchanted ceiling was displaying a gorgeous, bright summer sky even though it was February. Soft, sweet melodies radiated from a floating violin in the corner that Snape had charmed to play throughout the ceremony. You felt like a princess as you traveled slowly, step by step, down the aisle with everyone's eyes on you. Your own eyes quickly scanned over the crowd to see many of your old professors such as Professor McGonagall who had started to tear up, Professor Hollows the vampire, Professor Remus Lupin with his girlfriend Tonks, Professor Vector, and Madame Pomfrey. In the back of your mind you wished that Professor Dumbledore, Professor Flitwick, and Alastor Moody had been sitting there along with them. Next your eyes fell upon a group of your friends. Race Raven was beaming brightly at you from his spot between Dean Thomas and your old enemy Padma Patil, her twin sister, Parvati, Lavander Brown, Hannah Abbott, and Susan Bones. When you looked upon them the painfully obvious absence of Neville saddened you a little. In the row behind them the Creevey brothers were practically falling out of their seat as they fidgeted with enthusiasm. The amusing antics of the two boys brought a smile back to your face. As you drew closer to the front a sea of red hair caught your eye. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting together, holding hands, and watching you like two proud parents. Beside them Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, and to your shock even Percy had shown up. Fred and George, however, were a little distracted as they decorated an unsuspecting Roger Davies' head with rose petals, Oliver had noticed and was trying his best not to burst out laughing. '_Oh my friends..._' you thought to yourself, with happiness. Then finally it happened. You looked up toward the altar where Draco was standing, waiting for you...

He was dressed up in a debonair black and white tuxedo, with a small red rosebud tucked into his jacket pocket. His platinum blonde hair was hanging freely over his forehead in a carelessly elegant manner. There was broad grin on his handsome face and his icy blue eyes were shining with an amazing amount of warmth and happiness as you drew closer; he never took his eyes off of you as you did. Your heart skipped a beat as you looked up at him, straight in the eyes. Then Snape stopped walking and halted in front of the altar in front of you, he leaned down and kissed you on the cheek before removing his arm from yours. Draco walked over to you and took your hand in his, "You look beautiful," he whispered.  
>"As do you," you responded, as the two of you traveled up the altar hand in hand. Your heating was beating so fast in your chest when you turned to face each other that you were honestly scared you might collapse from excitement. The man you loved more than anything or anyone else in the world was standing in front of you, ready to pledge his eternal love to you was this all a dream?<p>

"Welcome dear friends and family who have gathered here today to witness the union of these two young lovers, Draco Malfoy and Anna Darcy. It was a mere three years ago these two fell in love with one another and today they seal this love in matrimony," the man presiding over the ceremony began. "The couple has chosen to write their own vows," next he turned to Draco with a smile on his face, "Are you ready to recite your vows?" he inquired.  
>Draco nodded at him, before turning back to face you again. He grasped your hands tightly in his as tears began to gloss over his pale eyes. "Three years ago I never would have imagined that I would be standing here right now with you. I was an ignorant boy, merely following in the footsteps of my father. But you- you saved me from the life that I never wanted. You were the one who gave me the strength to stand up for myself and leave my Slytherin days behind me. You transformed me into a man that was worthy of being loved and worthy of having true friends, and for that I will always be eternally grateful to you, my love. There was something you that enchanted me to the point where nothing but your face and warm eyes occupied my dreams. I will always remain loyal to you until the day I die," by this point the tears had broken free from his eyes and were streaming down his cheeks... these tears prompted your own to start falling, everything he was saying was so beautiful. "We have been through so much together; sickness, health, good times, bad times, and I thank the heavens everyday that you are still here with me today about to become my wife. I've told you this before and I will tell this again, I love you with all my heart Anna Louise Darcy and I will always love you. That is my promise to you."<br>You gulped at the end of his vows and tried desperately to get a handle on your voice, but you were crying. "Th-thank you," you choked out; gripping his hands tighter to signal how much his words meant you. "Draco, you were my first," you finally spoke, "You were my first kiss, my first crush, my first love... You were the first and the only person to make my heart skip a beat every time that I laid eyes upon you. I remember the days when we would meet in the Astronomy Tower and stare up into the stars just talking about life, love, and pain. We fell in love in that tower, you proposed to me in that tower, and the times we spent there alone together were some of the best days of my life and days I will certainly never forget as long as I live. You are the most amazing man I have ever met. You complete me like no one else could and in my heart I do believe that you are my soul mate, my one perfect match. When I'm with you I feel whole and there is no better feeling in the entire world. Thank you for making my life complete and know that I will love you forever, no matter what may come our way," you finished, a small sob escaping your lips as you did. Draco was biting his lip, looking like he was truly trying to keep himself from bawling but with little luck.

The man smiled, "Lovely," he whispered. "Now for the rings," he said, and Harry and Luna appeared at both of your sides to hand you the wedding bands. The two of you had chosen simple, silver bands with an engraving of a single star on the outside. On the inside, however, it read '_A.D. & D.M. Our Love, Our Tower_' in a flowing script. You took the small ring daintily between your fingers and slipped it gently on to Draco's ring finger, as he did the same. You glanced down on the shimmering piece of silver on your finger and joy flowed through you. "Draco, Anna..." the man began, "I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride," he announced, jovially and before you knew Draco had swept you into his arms. He leaned down slowly and placed a soft, gentle kiss upon your lips. You kissed back, allowing all the passion and bliss that you were feeling to radiate from you. That moment in Draco's arms, his lips against yours... your very first kiss as husband and wife, was the most truly perfect moment of your entire life. You released and looked deeply into each other's eyes, so much had happened to you two over the past three years, but in the end you two and your love had made it through it all...

_Love Conquers All._


	91. Chapter 91

A cold, whistling wind whipped through your thin yellow sweater and blew your dirty blonde hair out of the loose bun and into your face. A single tear dripped down your freckled cheek and your hands were shaking violently at your sides as you approached the wooden door a few feet in front of you. '_What in the hell am I doing here?_' you thought to yourself, running a hand through your hair anxiously. Your honey eyes glanced down at the dying shrubs at your feet, the desolate landscape, and the foreboding, barred windows that adorned the gargantuan, stone building in front of you. As you somewhat timidly knocked on the door you couldn't help, but think you were crazy for doing this. Part of you knew, however, that to truly move on with your life once and for all, you needed some closure.

"What can I do for you ma'am?" a burly, pale-faced young man dressed in a simple, black uniform stood in front of you. He eyed you curiously. Not many people chose to _willingly_ come to the place where he worked.  
>"I am here on a visit," you choked out, wringing your hands together. "I have been granted permission by the Minister of Magic," you added, pulling out a letter that your friend Harry Potter had written for you.<br>The guard glanced down at the letter's seal and nodded in approval. "Follow me, ma'am. I'll bring you to the warden," he opened the door wider and led you inside the dark, dank corridor. The floor was constructed of stone, covered by an extra layer of dirt. Flaming torches lined the walls, providing some light in otherwise pitch-black interior. Screams in the distance made you jump a little, but the guard in front of you did not seem to even notice; he had seen and heard far worse over the past years. "Right here, ma'am," the man informed you, opening another door and ushering you in to a cramped, dismal looking office. There were dozens of small file cabinets and papers scattered haphazardly around the room, and in the middle of all the chaos was a short, bearded man with horn-rimmed spectacles and beady brown eyes; he was certainly not what you imagined the warden of Azkaban Prison would look like.  
>He let out a little yelp in surprise when his door swung open; obviously he wasn't accustomed to visitors. "Oh! You scared me half to death, Kramer! Do knock next time! You never know who may be wandering around this place, you know!" he exclaimed, fanning himself. "Now who is this lovely young lady and why is she here?" he asked, after noticing you.<br>"She says she's here on a visit, sir," the man named Kramer replied in a droning voice, "She's got permission from the Minister," with that he threw the letter down on the desk in front of him.  
>The bespectacled man opened the envelope with great curiosity on his face. His beady eyes scanned over the words on the letter and widened a little at certain parts. "I see," he finally spoke, "Bring her to Cell fifty-eight, top floor, high security," the warden said, "Oh and dear please wear one of these!" he said, handing her a visitor's pin, "It'll make sure the Dementors don't bother you." Your heart nearly stopped at the mention of the Dementors. After the war with Voldemort had ended they decided to come back to the good side and work for the Ministry again, but in your heart you still did not trust them or want to be anywhere near one if you could help it.<p>

"They won't hurt you," the guard said and you raised your eyebrow at him as he escorted you through the winding corridors of prison cells. At first you thought he meant the prisoners, but with the appearance of three Dementors at the end of the hall you realized his true meaning. As they floated by their rattling breath made your stomach knot and the air around you seemed to become as cold as ice. Your mind drifted a little as all the happiness began to steal away from your heart. '_You could have had everything, little Anna Bella. Everything..._' Voldemort's words echoed through your mind, but with a firm shake of your head you managed to keep your composure.  
>"I know," you whispered back, the Dementors really weren't the things bothering you at this point anyways.<br>"It is the next cell down ma'am. Oh, and if you need any help just press the button on the back of your pin," he told her, "And uh- good luck," he added, sensing the fear in your eyes.

Slowly you made your way over to cell fifty-eight, feeling as if you might throw up at any second. '_Just be strong, Anna. You can do this. You're not scared of anything remember,_' you told yourself firmly in your head before walking out in front of the cell. You gasped when you looked threw the bars and saw the person confined behind them. Bellatrix Lestrange was slumped in the corner of the filthy chamber. Her long, once beautiful black hair was greasy and tangled, falling over her face, so you could not get a proper view of it. A sullied, tattered prison garb was hanging loosely off her skeletal body that was trembling fiercely. Low, quite whimpers were coming from her hunched body, and it sounded as if she was talking to herself. You opened your mouth to speak, but no words came out. You repeated this action about a dozen times until you decided to finally give up, but as soon as you made the move to walk away Bellatrix's head shot up as if she had finally felt your presence.  
>The condition of her face shocked you. Her once handsome features had completely deteriorated during her second stay in the prison. Her sallow, yellowing skin was hanging down from her bones, her eyes were bloodshot and wild looking, her lips were chapped and bleeding, and her teeth that still remained were blackened. Her black eyes squinted through the dimness and a hideous smile spread out across her face when she recognized you. "Well if it isn't my little Anna Bella. Come to see mummy in prison, have we?" her voice was hoarse and aggressive.<br>You took a deep breath as loathing pulsed through every vein in your body. The hot white feeling of hatred was almost too much for you to take. "You are _not_ my mother. You disgust me," you hissed, through clenched teeth. Bellatrix just smiled wider at your words, she stood up unsteadily and stumbled over toward you. She collapsed onto the bars, which she used to hold herself up.  
>"Why have you come to see me? Do you want to torment me? Did you want to see how far I have fallen?" she sneered.<br>"I needed closure," you responded coldly, "I'm happy now and I want to finally forget about you and everything you've done."  
>"Is that a ring on your finger?" her eyes traveled down to your finger where your engagement ring and wedding band were. "You married the Malfoy brat then?" she said in disgust.<br>"Yes, I did marry Draco and we bought a beautiful little cottage outside of Hogwarts. I got a job at St. Mungo's as a Healer and Draco is working as a curse breaker at Gringott's. I'm also pregnant with our second child," you added, subconsciously resting your hand over your slightly bulging stomach. "I just wanted you to know that you didn't break me. All my dreams came true despite everything you did to me. And now you are here, locked up in a tiny cell doomed to relive your worst memories over and over again until there is nothing left of you. Karma is a bitch, huh?" you finished fiercely.  
>Bellatrix only smirked, "Ah- you are definitely my daughter Anna Bella. You are just like me in so many ways, you know that. Vengeful, fierce, unforgiving..." she trailed off, "None of your father's weak qualities in you," she added.<br>"My father was a brave man!" you snapped back defensively, a few tears brimming in your eyes. But you quickly suppressed them, though; your mother was the last person that you ever wanted to see you cry. "He saved my life, just like he wanted to do when I was baby."  
>"He was a stupid man who let his emotions get in the way of his duty!" Bellatrix countered. "And now he is dead."<br>"Death is better than what you have been reduced to," you answered, "You are never going to see the light of day again, nor will you ever see your grandchildren," you told her without sympathy.  
>"I wouldn't want to see your filthy offspring anyways," she replied. "And you may be happy for now Anna, but how long is that going to last? How long until those who fought for Voldemort rise again? Do you really think that this war is over?" she inquired. "Do you really think you have won? The followers of Voldemort will rise again, mark my words. History will repeat itself Anna Bella, and the next time you may not be so lucky," she threatened, with a scary amount of confidence in her voice.<br>"We have won. There will be peace," was your response. "And if your kind ever do try to rise up again they will be defeated again. You will never win."  
>Bellatrix's eyes narrowed into two slits, "We shall see, we shall see," and something in the pit of your stomach told you that she knew something that you did not, but you convinced yourself she was only trying to scare you.<br>"I have to go, Draco will be coming home soon," you said, looking down at the watch around your wrist. "Goodbye, I pray that we will never see each other again. Have a nice life behind bars; you deserve everything that you have gotten." And with that you spun around on your heel and marched out of the gloomy prison; ignoring your mother's screams echoing behind you. A strange sense of relief wash over you when you slammed the door shut behind you. With a sigh you took a deep breath of fresh air and felt life and joy flow back into your body. You grasped your ever-growing stomach that held your second child inside, "We're going to be happy," you whispered, "You're going to live a wonderful life, my little Katharine. You will have everything I never had." Without even one last glance behind you, you walked away from the prison and apparated back home to your modest cottage outside the town of Hogsmeade.

The cottage was a small house. Draco and you could have afforded something a lot more extravagant with your combined salaries, but after growing up in such a large and lonely home as the Malfoy Manor, Draco had wanted something smaller. The sweet aromas of what smelled like apple pie bombarded you as you walked in through the door. "Draco! Draco hunny, are you home?" you called out.  
>"I'm in the kitchen, love!" you heard him yell back. With that you walked over to the kitchen to see him standing by the stove with your pink, frilly apron wrapped around his waist, an apple pie in his hand, and your one-year-old daughter Lenora sitting in the highchair beside him giggling. His blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and his cheeks were flushed with color making him look even more handsome than usual. Around his neck was a dragon fang necklace that all the curse breakers at Hogwarts wore in order to identify themselves.<br>"And here I was thinking I fell in love with a bad boy," you chuckled playfully, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.  
>"What are you talking about! This apron is very manly if you ask me!" he countered, returning your kiss with another on the lips. "I had a real craving for apple pie when I got home and since Blaise is coming over tonight I thought I would try this new recipe that Ron and Harry were telling me about at work today-"<br>"Oh, so now you're swapping recipes? You three are the biggest girls sometimes. Married life has really made the all of you go soft," you teased. "Blaise on the other hand, now he is a real man!" you laughed. Blaise was the only one who had yet to settle down and get married in your little circle of friends, other than Raven who was currently engaged to his old sweetheart Caroline LaPierre, who was currently pregnant as well.  
>He mock glared at you, "I am more of a man than he will ever be," Draco said putting down the pie and tearing off his apron dramatically. He wrapped his arms around your waist and planted a passionate kiss upon your lips that made you weak at the knees. When he pulled away you were breathless for a moment. "Now tell me I'm not a man," he dared, with a charming grin on his face.<br>"Not in front of Lenora!" you scolded jokingly, "We'll just have to save that for later," you winked suggestively and he smirked back.  
>"So how are you doing?" Draco asked, cutting you a piece of hot apple pie as you sat down at the table. "I went to see you at work on my lunch break, but Raven told me that you took the day off. Then Harry told me you went to take care of something, wouldn't tell me what though."<br>"Oh," you said shortly, looking down at your shoelaces. "I uh- I went to see my mother," you admitted, and Draco's eyes went wide with concern. "It's fine, really!" you protested before he could even speak, "I needed some closure, so I could leave that old pain behind me and start my new life with you, and our daughters," you said smiling affectionately at your little Lenora.  
>Draco smiled, "And hopefully a son later on," he chuckled, "Someone's got to carry on the name, right?" He sat down beside you and brushed a strand of loose hair out of your face. "I love you, Anna," he said, "And I love you little Katharine," he said in a baby voice, kissing your stomach. "And you too Lenny," he added, ruffling your daughter's platinum hair.<br>"I love you too," you replied, running your fingers through his hair. "I cannot believe we've made it this far after everything that happened. We're really lucky aren't, we?" you sighed.  
>"Blessed," Draco agreed, "Blessed..."<p>

_With every ending, comes a new beginning..._

**The End**


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